FROM   THE  LIBRARY  OF 
REV.   LOUIS    FITZGERALD    BENSON,   D.  D. 

BEQUEATHED    BY   HIM   TO 

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PRINCETON   THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


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/  ' 


/ 

V  0  I  C  E 


UNIVERSALISTS. 
// 


BY    HOSE A    BALLOU. 


"Suffer  me  a  liitle, 

and  I 

will  show  thee  that  I  have  yet  to  speak 

on  God's  behalf." 

Joe  39 :  2. 

BOSTON: 

PUBLISHED 

BY    J.    M. 

USHER. 

1849. 

Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1849,  by 

JAMES    M.    USHER, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  Massachusetts. 


Stereotyped    by 

HOBART    &    ROBBINS, 

NEW  ENGLAND  TYPE  AND  STEREOTYPE  FOONDERY, 
BOSTON. 


i&ication. 


THIS    VOLUME    IS    MOST    AFFECTIONATELY 
INSCRIBED  TO  ALL  THE  BELOVED  BRETHREN  IN  THE 
MINISTRY    OF    UNIVERSAL    SALVATION,  AND    TO    ALL  WHO    BE- 
LIEVE   IN    THAT     DIVINE     DOCTRINE,    AS    REVEALED 
THROUGH    OUR    LORD    AND    SAVIOUR,    JESUS 
CHRIST,    AND    RECORDED    IN    THE 
HOLY    SCRIPTURES, 
BY   THEIR   VERY   HUMBLE   AND   GRATEFUL    SERVANT, 

HOSEA  BALLOU. 


PUBLISHER'S    PREFACE. 


The  work,  here  laid  before  the  public,  consists  partly 
of  original  pieces  written  by  Mr.  Ballou  for  this 
volume,  and  partly  of  articles  from  his  pen  which 
have  already  appeared  in  different  periodicals.  To 
the  former  class  belong  A  General  Epistle  to  Uni- 
versalists,  Momentous  Questions,  Essay  on  Universal- 
ism,  Advice  to  Young  Men  who  design  to  enter  the 
Ministry,  The  Doctrine  of  Universal  Salvation,  and 
The  Utility  of  Evil.  The  latter  class  is  made  up  of 
such  selections,  from  his  writings,  as  it  was  thought 
desirable  to  preserve  in  a  more  permanent  form  than 
that  in  which  they  first  appeared. 

One  object  with  the  Publisher  was  to  call  forth, 
from  the  venerable  Author,  some  new  contributions  to 
the  great  cause  to  which  he  has  devoted  his  life  ; 
some  additional  counsels,  which  his  brethren  may 
receive  as  a  legacy,  and  some  fresh  testimony  which 
the  world  may  regard  as  the  maturest  dictate  of  long 
experience  and  reflection.  His  advanced  age  forbids 
1* 


vi  publisher's  preface. 

the  hope  that  he  will  many  times  again  address  the 
public  in  this  way ;  and  the  latest  thoughts  and  senti- 
ments of  such  a  man,  on  topics  of  so  much  moment 
as  those  which  are  here  discussed,  will  be  felt  to 
claim  respectful  attention  with  all  candid  minds. 

He  is  now  in  his  seventy-ninth  year,  and  in  the 
fifty-ninth  of  his  ministry,  having  begun  to  preach  in 
the  autumn  of  1791.  His  first  settlement,  as  a  pastor, 
was  in  1796,  over  the  Universalist  Society  in  Dana, 
Mass.  From  this  place  he  removed,  in  1803,  to 
Barnard,  Vt.,  and  took  the  charge  of  the  Universalist 
societies  in  that  town,  in  Woodstock,  Hartland,  Bethel, 
and  Bridgewater.  After  continuing  there  about  six 
years,  he  accepted  a  settlement,  in  1809,  with  the 
church  in  Portsmouth,  N.  H.  In  1815,  he  was  called 
to  the  church  in  Salem,  Mass. ;  and  thence,  in  Dec. 
1817,  to  the  Second,  or  School  Street,  Universalist 
Church,  in  Boston,  with  which  he  is  still  connected 
as  senior  pastor. 

This  is  no  place,  nor  time,  to  speak  of  the  peculiar 
endowments  which  have  distinguished  him  from  the 
first,  and  which  yet  continue  in  a  great  measure  unim- 
paired. It  will  be  no  indelicacy,  however,  to  recog- 
nize (what  is  universally  conceded)  his  fatherly 
relation  to  the  present  body  of  believers  in  the  salvation 
of  all  mankind,  and  his  paramount  agency  in  spreading 


publisher's  preface.  vii 

this  doctrine.  lie  has  lived  to  see  the  number  of  its 
professors  increased  from  a  few  thousands  to  nearly  as 
many  hundreds  of  thousands.  That  faith,  which  was 
everywhere  held  in  abomination  at  his  entrance  in  the 
field,  has  also  diffused  its  elements  at  least  into  all  the 
old  forms  of  religious  belief,  and  sensibly  modified 
even  the  popular  creed.  The  character  of  Universal- 
ism  itself  has  been  renovated  under  his  eye.  Almost 
half  a  century  ago,  it  began  to  cast  its  old  Calvinistic 
slough ;  and  it  went  on  to  develop  itself  more  nearly 
according  to  the  simplicity  of  the  Scriptures.  In  all 
this  progress,  of  various  kinds,  external  and  internal, 
he  has  borne  the  leading  part.  Besides  the  immediate 
results  of  his  preaching,  writings,  and  conversation, 
he  has  furnished  much  of  the  solid  material  which 
others  have  wrought  out  into  current  use,  and,  in 
many  cases,  has  given  the  impulse  and  general  direction 
of  thought  to  those  who  have  come  to  different  conclu- 
sions from  his  own  on  subordinate  points.  It  is  not 
extravagant  to  say,  in  general  terms,  that  what  Univer- 
salism  now  is,  and  what  its  influence  now  is  on  the 
religious  world,. is  owing,  under  God,  to  him. 

Should  it  be  asked,  how  he  has  been  enabled  to 
accomplish  so  much  in  his  Master's  cause,  the  answer 
will  be  very  important  to  such  as  would  share  in  use- 
fulness of  this  permanent  kind.     So  far   as  human 


Vlll  PUBLISHER'S    PREFACE. 

means  are  concerned,  he  has  done  it  by  rigorously 
"minding  his  own  business;"  by  concentrating  all 
his  powers  upon  the  work  ;  by  consecrating  himself, 
his  time,  his  reputation,  all  that  he  had,  to  the  truth 
as  it  is  in  Jesus  Christ,  disregarding  men's  abuse  or 
favor,  and  speaking  in  the  plainest  simplicity  the  mes- 
sage of  which  his  heart  was  full.  This  is  the  secret 
of  success,  with  those  who  have  a  dispensation  of  the 
gospel  committed  to  them.  Without  this,  the  most 
splendid  talents  will  leave  no  more  lasting  effects 
behind,  than  does  the  morning  cloud,  or  the  dew  that 
vanishes  under  the  heat  and  burden  of  the  day. 

J.    M.    USHER. 
Boston,  Aug.  1849. 


CONTENTS 


Page. 

A  General  Epistle  to  Universalists,       .       .       .       .13 

Momentous  Questions, 23 

A  Short  Essay  on  Universalism, 25 

Advice  to  Young  Men, 38 

A  Sermon, 55 

A  Sermon,     ....  ....        78 

The  Doctrine  of  Universal  Salvation,   .        .        .        .96 

Remarks  offered  at  a  Religious  Conference,    .       .      109 
The  Utility  of  Evil, 115 

.METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

Religion, 129 

Hymn, 130 

Hvmn 132 

Hymn, 134 

Isaiah  i.  27, 136 

Lines  on  the  Death  of  Moses  Hall,  of  Charlestown,      137 

Humility, 139 

The  Season, 140 

God  is  Love, 142 

Spring, 144 

An  Address  to  Universalism, 145 

Hymn, 148 

Hymn  of  Praise, 149 

"Wisdom, 150 

The  Straight  and  Narrow  Way, 151 

To  a  Mourning  Mother, 152 

Lines, 153 

An  Alarm, 155 

Thanksgiving, 156 

God  is  Love, 158 

«  My  Kingdom  is  not  of  this  World,"  .       .       .       .160 


10 


CONTENTS. 


Impartial  Goodness, 163 

Meekness, 164 

Christ  the  Light  and  Life  of  the  World,  .       .       .165 

Hymn, 166 

Christmas  Hymn, 167 

The  Carrier's  Address, 169 

The  Orthodox's  Address  to  St.  Paul,        ...      173 

Praise 176 

Youth', 178 

Universal  Goodness, 179 

An  Address  to  Orthodoxy, 181 

The  Unity  of  the  Spirit, 183 

Hymn,   .' 184 

Co  11  to  True  Liberty,      . 185 

Hymn, 187 

National  Jubilee 188 

Thoughts, 190 

"  For  a  Blessing  is  in  it," 192 

Divine  Goodness, 193 

A  Charity  Hvmn 194 

Tears  of  a  Mother, 195 

Ode  for  the  Fourth  of  July, 197 

Supplication, 198 

Penitence, 200 

The  Dying  Penitent, 201 

The  Gospel  Covenant  Fulfilled, 202 

The  Peace  of  Christ, 203 

Prayer  for  Divine  Assistance, 204 

Sorrowing  for  Mental  Darkness,       ....      205 
The  Carrier's  Address,   .......  207 

Hymn, 210 

"  But  seek  ye  first  the  Kingdom  of  God,"    .        .        .211 

Sabbath  Morning, 212 

The  Sun  of  Righteousness, -.214 

Christmas  Hymn, 215 

Praise  the  King  of  Zion. 217 

The  Carrier's  Address, 218 

Ladies'  Dress, 221 

The  Fruit  of  the  Spirit, 222 

God  is  Love, 223 

The  Sun  of  Righteousness, 225 

The  Power  of  Darkness, 226 


CONTENTS.  11 

A  Sabbath's  Entertainment, 228 

Prayer, 230 

Redemption, 231 

Divine  Love, 232 

Burning  of  the  Lexington, 233 

The  World  Regenerated, 236 

A  Fervent  Desire, 237 

A  Rural  Visit, 238 

Jesus, 243 

Changes, 244 

A  Question  Answered, 249 

My  Native  Richmond, 250 

Nothing, 251 

Substance, 253 

Universal  Praise, 254 

Healing  Power  of  Love, 256 

Lines  presented  with  a  New  Year's  Gift,        .        .      257 
Dependence  on  and  Trust  in  God,        ....  258 

Praise  the  Lord, 259 

Death  not  to  be  feared, 261 

Hymn, 263 

In  reference  to  Capital  Punishment,     ....  264 

Hero  of  Truth, 266 

Lines, 269 

On  the  Goodness  of  God, 271 

Lines, 274 

Hungering  and  Thirsting  after  Righteousness,      .      276 

Love  allows  no  Compulsion, 277 

Ode  for  the  Fourth  of  July, 278 

Hymn, 280 

Thoughts  on  the  Sun, 281 

Partial  Doctrine  disproved, 282 

The  Shortness  of  Life  and  the  Vision  of  Hope,      .      283 

Lines, 284 

The  Carrier's  Address, 286 

Immortality, 290 

Ode  for  the  Fourth  of  July, 291 

Another, 292 

Death  and  Immortality, 294 

Lines, 296 

A  Prayer, 297 

Children's  Praises, 298 


12  CONTENTS. 

Christ's  Entrance  into  Jerusalem,    ....      300 

The  Soul  panting  after  God, 303 

A  Prayer, 304 

An  Invitation, 305 

"  There  is  a  God,  all  Nature  cries  aloud,"      .       .      307 

Lines  written  in  an  Album, 308 

Lines  on  the  Death  of  Hon.  Olney  Ballou,  of  R.  I.     309 

The  Progress  of  Truth, 312 

The  Resurrection  of  the  Widow's  Son,    .       .       .313 

Divine  Government, 314 

Salvation, 316 

Prayer  and  Thanks, 317 

Hymn  of  Praise, 319 

The  Acceptable  Sacrifice, 320 

Pastoral, 321 

Another, 322 

Ode  for  the  Fourth  of  July, 323 

The  Beatitudes, 325 


A  GENERAL  EPISTLE 

TO    UNIVERSALISTS. 


To  the  numerous  fraternity  of  believers  in  uni- 
versal salvation,  through  Him  who  gave  himself 
a  ransom  for  all  men,  pursuant  to  the  will  of  God, 
who  will  have  all  men  to  be  saved  and  to  come 
unto  the  knowledge  of  the  truth  ;  and  to  all  who 
call  on  the  name  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ,  whithersoever  this  epistle  may  come  :  — 
Brethren,  will  you  listen  to  the  beseechings  of 
your  aged  servant  in  Christ,  who  has  long 
endeavored  to  serve  you  for  Jesus'  sake  ? 

All  favors  bestowed  by  the  Giver  of  every  good 
gift,  and  every  perfect  gift,  impose  corresponding 
duties  and  obligations  on  those  who  receive  them. 
By  what  means,  let  your  servant  ask,  were  your 
minds  enlightened,  and  brought  out  of  darkness 
into  the  glorious  light  of  universal  love  ?  You 
answer,  By  carefully  and  prayerfully  searching 
the  Scriptures.  In  what  estimation,  then,  should 
you  hold  these  Scriptures,  which  have  granted 


14  A    GENERAL   EPISTLE. 

you  this  deliverance  from  the  gloomy  horrors  of 
never-ending  woes  ?  Does  the  Bible  contain  the 
divine  promise,  that  in  the  seed  of  Abraham, 
which  seed  is  Christ,  all  the  nations,  all  the  fam- 
ilies, all  the  kindreds  of  the  earth  shall  be  blessed  ? 
Does  the  Bible  teach  that  the  one  Mediator 
between  God  and  men  gave  himself  a  ransom 
for  all,  to  be  testified  in  due  time  ;  that  God  has 
made  known  his  purpose,  that,  in  the  fulness  of 
the  dispensation  of  times,  he  will  gather  together 
all  things  in  Christ ;  and  that  he  worketh  all 
things  after  the  counsel  of  his  own  will  ?  And 
does  it  teach  us,  that  denying  ungodliness  and 
worldly  lusts,  we  should  live  soberly,  righteously, 
and  godly,  in  this  present  world  ?  And  do  the 
Scriptures  teach  us  all  things  which  pertain  to 
life  and  godliness,  through  the  knowledge  of  him 
who  hath  called  us  to  glory  and  virtue  ?  If  these 
things  be  so,  allow  your  aged  servant  to  beseech 
you  to  hold  the  Scriptures  in  that  high  regard, 
which  corresponds  with  the  blessings  you  receive 
from  them. 

Are  there  no  reasons  to  fear,  that  the  blessed 
oracles  of  divine   truth  are  less  read  and  less 


A   GENERAL   EPISTLE.  15 

regarded  than  they  ought  to  be  ?  Have  not 
some  of  the  professed  preachers  of  the  gospel 
manifested  more  regard  for  what  is  called  science, 
than  for  the  plain  declarations  of  the  Divine 
Word  ?  And  have  they  not  been  too  much  coun- 
tenanced in  this  course  by  their  hearers  ?  A 
word  to  the  wise  is  sufficient.  Be  exhorted, 
brethren,  to  regard  the  apostle's  solicitude,  who 
feared,  that  as  the  serpent  beguiled  Eve,  through 
his  subtilty,  his  brethren's  minds  would  become 
corrupted  from  the  simplicity  which  is  in  Christ. 
Are  there  no  grounds  to  fear,  that  some,  who 
have  been  open  advocates  of  divine  truth,  have, 
in  some  measure,  yielded  to  the  popular  influence 
exerted  to  dissuade  them  from  its  open  defence, 
in  hope  of  amalgamating  with  such  as  are  so  very 
liberal  as  to  define  no  belief  whether  the  will  of 
our  heavenly  Father  in  man's  final  salvation  will 
be  accomplished  or  not  ?  "To  the  law  and  to  the 
testimony;  if  they  speak  not  according  to  this 
word,  it  is  because  there  is  no  light  in  them." 
It  seems  hardly  necessary,  brethren,  to  exhort 
you  to  beware  of  that  meteor  called  Christianity, 
which  is  not  founded  on  Christ ;  which  does  not 


16  A   GENERAL    EPISTLE. 

acknowledge  the  reality  of  the  wonderful  works 
done  by  him;  which  would  lose  none  of  its 
authority  by  dispensing  with  Christ,  his  death 
and  resurrection.  "  If  Christ  be  not  risen,  then 
is  our  preaching  vain,  and  your  faith  is  also  vain." 
Under  pretence  of  progress,  it  seems  that  some 
have  come  to  the  conclusion,  that  they  must  leave 
the  Scriptures,  Christ  and  his  apostles,  all  which 
only  served  for  their  times,  and  go  on  to  perfec- 
tion, adopting  as  a  motto,  Upward  and  onward  ! 
If,  in  room  of  leaving  the  Scriptures,  they  would 
only  leave  the  false  doctrines  to  whose  support 
they  have  been  erroneously  applied,  no  fault 
could  be  imputed  to  their  progress. 

Your  aged  servant  would  call  your  very  serious 
attention  to  the  consideration  of  the  Christian 
Sabbath,  and  the  devotional  services  it  requires. 
That  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath,  for  the  pur- 
poses of  public  devotion,  is  of  indispensable 
necessity,  it  would  seem  no  professed  Christian 
could  doubt.  It  is  evident,  according  to  the  New 
Testament,  that  soon  after  the  resurrection  of  the 
divine  Master,  the  apostles,  and  all  who  believed 
on  Jesus,  met  on  the  first  day  of  every  week  for 


A   GENERAL   EPISTLE.  17 

the  purpose  of  divine  worship ;  and  there  is  no 
doubt,  but  they  chose  that  day  because  it  was  the 
day  on  which  Jesus  arose  from  the  dead.  In 
view  of  these  momentous  facts,  does  it  not  appear 
most  reasonable,  that  all  Christians,  in  all  ages, 
should,  as  far  as  circumstances  and  means  will 
permit,  follow  so  good  an  example  ?  Though 
there  seems  no  probability  that  this  custom  will 
be  soon  wholly  discontinued,  we  have,  even  now, 
and  in  our  populous  cities,  where  the  people  have 
every  needed  convenience  for  attending  public 
worship  on  the  Sabbath,  reason  to  fear  that  many 
neglect  this  privilege ;  and  that  among  this  class 
are  such  whose  example  has  an  influence  on 
others,  thereby  depriving  them  of  those  enjoy- 
ments, which  none  can  well  do  without,  and 
which  are  especially  needed  by  the  poor. 
Brethren,  suffer  the  word  of  exhortation,  not  to 
neglect  the  assembling  of  yourselves  together. 
Can  any  of  you,  rich  or  poor,  seriously  persuade 
yourselves,  that  it  is  better  for  you,  and  for  your 
neighbors,  and  for  your  families,  that  you  stay 
at  home,  and  not  attend  public  worship  on  the 
Sabbath  ?  According  to  the  influence  your 
2* 


18  A   GENERAL  EPISTLE. 

example  will  exert  in  community,  are  the  demands 
of  community  on  you  for  such  examples  as  may 
prove  a  blessing  to  others.  Our  time  being  short, 
let  it  be  wisely  improved.  Who  of  us  will  regret, 
at  the  close  of  life,  that  we  have  devoted  too 
many  Sabbaths  to  the  worship  of  God  in  public  ? 
Or  who  of  us  will  not,  at  that  period,  be  thankful 
for  all  the  opportunities  we  shall  have  faithfully 
improved,  in  worshipping  God  in  spirit  and  in 
truth  ? 

As  it  is  undoubtedly  the  case,  with  many 
believers  in  the  doctrine  of  universal  salvation, 
that  they  are,  in  many  places,  but  few  in  number, 
and  not  able  to  be  at  the  expense  of  a  meeting- 
house, or  of  maintaining  a  public  preacher,  they 
may  think  it  their  duty  to  attend,  with  their 
families,  public  worship  where  a  partial  gospel  is 
preached,  and  universal  salvation  proscribed.  To 
such,  it  may  be  said,  "  Wisdom  is  profitable  to 
direct."  All  circumstances  must  be  taken  into 
the  account.  How  many  true  believers  are  there, 
who  can  meet  together  ?  Two  or  three  have  the 
promise  of  the  divine  presence.  Let  them  meet 
in  the  private  dwelling  of  some  brother,  who  can 


A    GENERAL    EPISTLE.  19 

best  accommodate  such  as  will  attend.  Let  the 
Bible  be  the  minister.  Read  some  portions  of 
Scripture  ;  converse  on  them  ;  and,  if  convenient, 
sing  hymns,  &c.  In  all  parts  of  our  country  now 
good  sermons  are  in  print,  and  might  be  read  to 
edification  in  very  small  assemblies.  By  such 
meetings,  some,  who  do  not  believe,  may  be 
induced  to  drop  in,  and  inquire  after  truth. 
From  such  meetings,  large  societies  of  our  com- 
mon faith  had  their  origin ;  and  the  oldest  mem- 
bers thereof  have  confessed  that  their  early 
meetings  were  among  those  which  they  best 
enjoyed.  Let  all  who  wish  well  to  Zion,  remem- 
ber her  in  her  low  estate. 

The  establishment  of  churches,  and  the  attend- 
ance on  the  Lord's  supper,  are  privileges  which 
ought  not  to  be  neglected.  Could  the  prejudices 
of  the  people  all  be  removed  in  regard  to  church 
membership,  and  the  Lord's  supper,  and  the  more 
rational  practice  of  the  first  Christian  believers 
be  adopted,  it  would,  no  doubt,  much  improve  our 
Christian  communion  and  fellowship.  All  who 
were  converts  to  Christianity,  were  as  freely 
admitted  to  the  celebration  of  the  supper,  as  they 


20  A   GENERAL   EPISTLE. 

were  to  the  public  services  of  devotion.  Indeed, 
the  supper  was  one  part  of  public  service.  What 
good  reason  can  be  assigned  why  three  quarters 
of  a  Christian  congregation,  after  joining  in  the 
prayers  and  praises  offered  in  the  sanctuary,  and 
after  listening  to  a  fervent  dispensation  of  the 
words  of  everlasting  life,  retire  from  the  house  of 
worship,  and  leave  the  other  fourth  to  celebrate 
the  death  of  Jesus,  in  which  the  whole  congrega- 
tion believe  ?  If  the  death  of  Jesus  be  allowed 
to  benefit  all,  should  not  all  join  in  its  celebration  ? 
Community  at  large  join  in  celebrating  the  day 
of  our  national  independence ;  and  the  fact  that 
this  independence  is  a  benefit  to  all,  justifies  the 
whole  community  in  so  doing.  But,  brethren, 
your  servant,  who  offers  advice,  assumes  no  right 
to  command.  The  apostle  says,  "Let  a  man 
examine  himself,  and  so  let  him  eat  of  that  bread, 
and  drink  of  that  cup." 

Among  all  the  great  subjects  embraced  in  the 
circle  of  Christian  duties,  none  can  have  a  greater 
claim  on  parents,  than  the  bringing  up  of  their 
children  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the 
Lord.     Be   exhorted,  therefore,  by  the  love  of 


A   GENERAL   EPISTLE.  21 

Christ  to  little  children,  and  by  your  own  most 
tender  affection  for  your  offspring,  to  neglect  no 
opportunity  or  means  which  may  be  employed  in 
promoting  this  object.  The  young  and  tender 
heart,  like  the  pliant  wax,  is  susceptible  of  any 
impression.  How  indispensable,  then,  is  it,  that 
the  divine  image  should  be  as  constantly  before 
the  mind  of  childhood  as  is  possible  !  The  more 
love  is  infused  into  the  heart  of  the  child,  the 
more  will  that  heart  manifest  the  divine  image. 
And  the  rule  will  hold  good,  in  relation  to  this 
duty  of  parents,  as  in  relation  to  all  other  duties, 
"Whatsoever  a  man  sows,  that  shall  he  also 
reap."  Parents  in  general,  who  have  disobedient, 
ill-natured,  and  quarrelsome  children,  have  used 
unreasonable  severity  with  them,  endeavoring  to 
overcome  evil  with  evil.  The  doctrine  of  Jesus 
should  be  taught  to  children  while  quite  young, 
There  is  scarcely  anything  more  easily  taught. 
To  render  good  for  evil,  is  the  essence  of  the  doc- 
trine which  Jesus  taught  and  practised.  In  any 
instance  in  which  chastisement  is  required,  the 
child  should  be  made  to  understand  that  it  is 
inflicted  for  its  good. 


22 


A    GENERAL    EPISTLE. 


The  widely-spread  custom  of  Sabbath  schools, 
and  the  liberal  patronage  which  is  granted  them, 
furnish  wonderful  facilities  for  the  religious  and 
moral  culture  of  children.  The  writer  of  these 
suggestions  was  at  Salem  a  few  days  since,  at 
the  Massachusetts  Sabbath  School  Anniversary, 
where  the  many  lovely  children  made  a  most 
charming  display,  and  sang  the  praises  of  God 
with  well-disciplined  voices.  The  scene  called 
up  the  comparison  of  these  times  with  those  fifty 
years  ago,  and  it  was  believed,  that  fifty  years,  as 
well  improved  in  future,  would  accomplish  the 
divine  promise,  that  all  Zion's  children  shall  be 
taught  of  the  Lord,  and  that  their  peace  shall  be 
great.  Parents  and  guardians  would  do  well  to 
give  to  children  of  their  care  all  those  multiplied 
advantages  which  distinguish  our  times. 

Superintendents  and  teachers  in  Sabbath 
schools,  are  entitled  to  much  gratitude  for  their 
faithful  services,  and  it  is  hoped  that  their  own 
religious  and  moral  improvement  will  prove  a 
rich  reward,  in  connection  with  the  happy  reflec- 
tion that  they  have  watered  and  nurtured  many 
pleasant  plants,  which  flourish  in  the  garden  of 
God. 


MOMENTOUS    QUESTIONS.  23 

If,  by  the  foregoing  suggestions  and  advice, 
any  minds  should  be  induced  to  a  serious  consid- 
eration of  the  duties  mentioned,  and  any  service 
thereby  result  to  the  cause  of  truth,  of  pure  and 
undefiled  religion,  and  of  humanity,  it  will  show 
that,  by  God's  blessing,  small  means  may  redound 
to  his  honor.  The  writer  could  not  persuade 
himself  that  more  than  a  few  hints  on  the  several 
subjects  which  have  been  noticed,  could  be  required 
of  him,  or  be  of  any  essential  benefit  to  his  readers. 


MOMENTOUS    QUESTIONS. 

1st.  If  the  Divine  Being  inspired  the  prophets 
to  foretel  events,  involving  what  would  be  brought 
to  pass  by  the  schemes  planned  by  kings,  and 
executed  by  armies  under  their  command,  was  it 
possible  that  such  events  could  have  been  pre- 
vented by  human  agency  ? 

2d.  If  we  allow  that  God,  by  his  Holy  Spirit, 
moved  the  prophet  Isaiah  to  point  out  the  suffer- 
ings of  the  Messiah,  as  we  read  in  his  fifty-third 
chapter,  can  we  reasonably  believe,  that,  by  any 


24  MOMENTOUS    QUESTIONS. 

human  agency,  those  sufferings  could  have  been 
prevented  ? 

3d.  Can  we  reasonably  believe,  and  on  rational 
grounds  defend  the  belief,  that  Peter  was  possessed 
of  an  agency  by  which  he  could  have  avoided 
denying  his  Master,  as  Jesus  told  him  he  would  ? 

4th.  If  we  allow  that  Jesus  Christ  appeared  to 
Saul,  for  the  purpose  of  his  conversion  to  Chris- 
tianity, and  to  make  him  a  minister  and  a  witness 
of  gospel  truth  to  the  Gentiles,  can  we  reasonably 
believe  that  it  was  possible,  by  any  agency  which 
Saul  possessed,  to  have  prevented  his  conversion, 
or  have  avoided  his  ministry  ? 

5th.  Have  we  any  reason  to  believe  that  Saul 
was  possessed  of  any  freedom  of  will,  which  was 
violated  by  the  action  of  that  power  by  which  he 
was  converted  ? 

By  stating  these  questions,  we  wish  not  to 
puzzle  the  mind  of  any  one ;  but,  believing  as  we 
do  that  the  great  subject  embraced  in  them  is 
not  generally  understood  as  it  ought  to  be,  it  is 
hoped  that,  by  calling  attention  to  it,  some  useful 
inquiry  will  thereby  be  induced. 


A  SHORT  ESSAY  ON  UNIVERSALISM. 


We  propose,  in  what  we  shall  say  in  the  few 
following  pages,  on  the  subject  of  Universalism, 
to  offer  a  few  suggestions  on  several  subjects  which 
relate  to  the  doctrine,  considered  as  a  system  of 
theology7,  which  distinguishes  its  believers,  as  a 
sect,  from  Christians  of  other  denominations,  and 
also  in  regard  to  some  of  the  different  views 
which  have  been  entertained  respecting  the  doc- 
trine, by  those  who  have  professed  and  defended 
it.     And, 

1st.  As  respects  the  one  central  idea,  in  which 
all,  who  have  ever  professed  to  believe  the  doc- 
trine, have  agreed.  This  great  and  paramount 
idea  embraces  the  final  end  of  all  sin  in  the 
human  family,  and  the  consequent  holiness  and 
happiness  of  all  men.  We  deem  it  proper  to 
consider  all  who  embrace  this  one  item  of  faith 
as  Universalists,  however  they  may  differ  in 
regard  to  the  ways  and  means  which  have  been, 
3  " 


26  A    SHORT    ESSAY 

or  may  be,  used  to  carry  into  effect  the  desired 
and  glorious  result ;  or  however  they  may  differ 
as  to  times  and  seasons  in  which  Divine  wisdom 
may  accomplish  it.  This  item  of  faith  evidently 
distinguishes  all  its  advocates  from  all  who  believe 
that  any  of  the  human  family  will  sin  and  suffer 
as  long  as  the  Creator  shall  exist. 

2d.  There  is  another  item  in  the  belief  enter- 
tained by  Universalists,  in  which  all  its  advocates 
are  agreed.  And  that  is,  that  this  great  and 
glorious  truth  has  its  origin  in  the  nature  of  God, 
and  is  a  necessary  result  flowing  from  all  the 
Divine  attributes,  which  harmonize  in  infinite, 
unchangeable  love.  As  it  is  manifestly  unreason- 
able to  suppose  that  there  can  exist  in  any  one 
of  the  Divine  attributes  a  tendency  which  conflicts 
with  that  of  any  other  attribute,  so  is  it  equally 
unreasonable  to  allow  that  Divine  justice  can 
require  any  punishment  or  retribution  which 
Divine  love  does  not  desire.  That  the  good  of 
the  subject  is  the  object,  is  the  necessary  con- 
clusion. 

3d.  All  Universalists  agree  in  the  belief,  that 
their  distinguishing  doctrine  is  plainly  taught  by 


ON    UNIVERSALISM.  27 

Divine  inspiration,  in  the  scriptures  of  the  Old 
and  New  Testaments;  and,  of  course,  they  do 
not  believe  that  the  inspired  Scriptures  anywhere 
express  a  contrary  doctrine.  They  find  this  doc- 
trine in  the  writings  of  Moses,  in  the  prophets, 
and  in  the  Psalms ;  and  most  clearly  set  forth  in 
the  teachings  of  Jesus  and  his  apostles.  The 
very  spirit  of  the  gospel  of  the  Son  of  God  is 
that  of  love  to  enemies,  and  the  rendering  of 
good  for  evil.     And, 

4th.  All  Universalists  agree  in  believing  that 
the  true  Christian  life  consists  in  possessing, 
living,  and  acting  the  spirit  of  love,  as  manifested 
in  the  life  and  teachings  of  the  Divine  Master. 
And  however  we  may  fail,  or  come  short  of  this 
rule,  even  our  delinquencies  admonish  us  of  its 
purity,  and  compel  us  to  acknowledge  it. 

Having  presented  the  reader  with  a  short  com- 
pendium of  the  articles  of  our  faith,  in  which 
Universalists  are  agreed,  we  propose  to  set  forth 
a  concise  view  of  some  of  the  most  important 
differences  in  the  opinions  which  have  been 
embraced  by  believers  in  the  before-mentioned 
essential  particulars. 


28  A    SHORT    ESSAY 

It  would  not  be  consistent  with  our  present 
purpose,  or  with  the^  limits  prescribed  to  these 
pages,  to  go  back  to  the  early  ages  of  the  church, 
and  inquire  into  the  particular  tenets  of  those 
learned  divines  who  were  believers  in  this  doc- 
trine, and  who  taught  it  in  the  schools.  Some 
of  those,  having  imbibed  many  notions  taught  by 
Grecian  philosophers,  thought  it  consistent  with 
Christianity  to  retain  many  heathen  opinions, 
and  exerted  more  labor,  learning  and  criticism,  to 
reconcile  the  ancient  mythology  with  Christianity, 
than  to  understand  and  teach  the  doctrine  of 
Jesus  in  its  simplicity.  What  we  now  propose 
to  do  is  to  take  somewhat  of  a  general  survey  of 
the  opinions  entertained  by  those  who,  within  the 
memory  of  living  men,  have  believed  and  taught 
Universalism.  As  this  doctrine  was  first  taught 
in  this  country,  its  general  aspect  indicated  that 
it  had  what  we  may  call  a  Calvinistic  base  !  A 
work  entitled  "  Calvinism  Improved,"  designed  to 
vindicate  Universalism,  was  not  very  essentially 
different  from  the  views  of  our  Universalists  in 
general  fifty  years  ago.  As  the  basis  of  Calvinism 
is  generally  understood,  we  need  not  describe  its 


ON    UNIVERSALIS!^.  29 

elements.  Simply  to  improve  it,  so  as  to  estab- 
lish Universalism  on  it,  requires  only  to  extend  the 
merciful  decrees  of  God,  which  Calvin  restricted 
to  a  part  of  the  human  family,  so  as  to  embrace 
the  whole,  and  do  the  same  with  the  vicarious 
atonement  made  by  the  Son  of  God,  which  Calvin 
confined  to  a  chosen  part.  When  a  Calvinist 
found  that  the  Scriptures  plainly  teach  that  the 
Saviour  gave  himself  a  ransom  for  all  men,  hav- 
ing, by  the  grace  of  God,  tasted  death  for  every 
man,  it  was  easy  for  him  to  see  the  impropriety 
of  believing  that  God  had,  from  all  eternity, 
doomed  any  to  endless  woe.  It  does  not  appear 
that  our  earliest  Universalists  doubted  that  man, 
by  sin,  had  incurred  the  just  penalty  of  endless 
punishment,  but  fully  relied  on  the  efficacy  of  the 
atonement  for  a  deliverance  of  all  men  from  such 
a  condemnation.  The  doctrine  of  the  Trinity 
was  also  held  as  an  essential  part  of  the  general 
system  of  doctrine.  The  great  idea  of  universal 
salvation  filled  its  believers  so  full  of  joy,  giving 
such  an  impetus  to  benevolence  and  love,  that 
their  zeal  to  impart  its  light  and  comfort  to  their 

fellow-men  seemed  to  correspond  with  its  vastness 
3* 


30  A    SHORT    ESSAY 

and  glory.  The  natural  consequence  of  this  state 
of  things  was  to  arouse  the  clergy,  who  had  been 
quietly  settled  in  the  doctrine  of  endless  misery, 
and  were  enjoying  a  comfortable  living  with  their 
people,  who  believed  their  doctrine,  to  look  about 
them,  and  to  exert  all  the  means  in  their  power 
to  oppose  and  put  down  a  doctrine,  which,  to 
them,  appeared  to  be  subversive  of  Divine  truth, 
and  dangerous  to  the  interests  of  souls  committed 
to  their  charge.  The  few  defenders  of  Univer- 
salism  found  enough  to  do,  in  contending  with 
their  numerous  and  learned  opposers,  without 
retiring  to  their  studies  to  call  in  question,  and 
to  examine,  the  soundness  of  certain  tenets  which 
they  had  never  doubted,  and  which  they  could 
hold,  not  only  without  weakening  their  own 
cause,  but  use  successfully  in  opposing  their 
adversaries,  who  believed  the  same. 

While  viewing  these  circumstances,  in  room 
of  wondering  why  our  early  preachers  did  not 
see  the  impropriety  of  allowing  the  infinite 
demerit  of  sin,  and  the  incongruous  notion  of  an 
infinite  substitute  for  its  penalty,  we  may  marvel 
that  they  should  have  been  brought  so  far  out  of 


ON    UNIVERSALISM.  31 

darkness  as  to  behold  that  one  bright  and  glori- 
ous star  in  the  midst  of  the  gloom  which  sur- 
rounded it.  They  were  evidently  men  of  strong 
minds,  acute  discernment,  and  of  moral  courage. 
To  a  wonderful  degree  were  their  labors  blessed, 
and  converts  from  the  doctrine  of  endless  punish- 
ment became  numerous,  as  trophies  of  their 
spiritual  warfare. 

But  as  believers  were  multiplied,  and  additions 
made  to  the  number  of  advocates  of  the  impartial 
doctrine,  it  seems  that  Divine  wisdom  saw  fit  to 
lead  some  minds  to  look  inquiringly  into  the 
soundness  of  many  dogmas  which  had  been  suf- 
fered to  lie  undisturbed  in  public  opinion  for  ages. 
These  inquiries  were  directed  to  test  the  doctrine 
of  the  Trinity,  of  vicarious  atonement,  of  the 
infinite  demerit  of  sin,  of  the  justice  of  endless 
punishment,  of  the  common  doctrine  of  a  personal 
devil,  and  the  existence  of  that  hell  in  which  the 
church  had  so  long  believed,  and  which  her  clergy 
had  located  in  the  invisible,  eternal  world.  On 
examination  of  the  dogma  of  three  distinct  per- 
sons in  one  indivisible,  infinite  being,  each  of 
which  is  infinite,  it  was  discovered  to  be  embar- 


32  A    SHORT    ESSAY 

rassed  not  only  with  mystery,  defying  even  an 
approach  by  the  human  understanding,  but 
involving  most  palpable  absurdity;  and  when 
the  fact  was  duly  considered,  that  Jesus  by  his 
many  prayers  acknowledged  his  dependence  on 
his  Father  in  heaven,  and  when  it  was  also 
duly  realized  that  he  acknowledged  that  he  was 
sent  of  the  Father,  and  that  all  the  power  he 
possessed  and  exercised  was  given  him  by  the 
Father,  the  dogma  was  given  up,  as  resting  on 
no  better  ground  than  human  invention. 

Vicarious  atonement,  when  carefully  exam- 
ined, was  believed  to  depend  on  certain  assumed 
notions,  which  had  for  their  support  neither 
Scripture  nor  reason.  If  man  justly  deserved 
endless  punishment,  or  any  punishment  at  all, 
neither  Scripture  nor  reason  would  allow  that  the 
innocent  should  suffer  it  in  room  and  stead  of 
the  guilty.  As  to  reason,  it  frowns  on  such  a 
dogma  indignantly ;  and  the  Scriptures,  wherever 
they  speak  on  the  subject,  assure  us  that  God 
will  render  to  every  man  according  to  his  works. 
As,  in  the  very  nature  of  moral  consciousness, 
guilt  is  the  necessary  retribution  of  the  commis- 


ON    UNIVERSALIS^.  33 

sion  of  known  wrong,  it  is  impossible  that  the 
innocent  should  suffer  it. 

The  doctrine  of  the  infinite  demerit  of  sin,  and 
of  the  justice  of  endless  punishment,  required  no 
very  deep  or  labored  research  to  result  in  explod- 
ing it.  The  eye  of  enlightened  reason,  at  one 
glance,  could  clearly  see,  that  if  sin  be  infinite, 
there  can  be  no  difference  or  degrees  in  criminal- 
ity, while  the  Scriptures  clearly  teach  a  compara- 
tive distinction,  and  that  while  one  offender  is 
justly  liable  to  many  stripes,  another  is  exposed 
to  but  a  few.  As  to  the  justice  of  endless  pun- 
ishment, minds  enjoying  the  liberty  of  free 
inquiry  could  easily  detect  the  diabolical  charac- 
ter of  such  justice,  as  it  is  the  exact  opposite  of 
the  Divine  nature,  which  is  love.  Such  justice 
is  evidently  predicated  on  the  false  principle  and 
ungodly  practice  of  rendering  evil  for  evil. 

The  commonly  received  opinion,  that  there 
exists  a  personal  being  called  the  devil,  seemed 
as  difficult  to  eradicate  from  people's  minds  as 
any  of  the  superstitions  which  had  been  nour- 
ished by  learned  divines  in  any  age.  Such  a 
being,  it  seems,  was  indispensable  in  contriving 


34  A    SHORT    ESSAY 

and  carrying  on  the  scheme  of  man's  eternal 
ruin !  But  when  inquiry  demanded  who  was 
the  author  of  this  devil,  and  what  he  was  made 
for,  and  who  it  is  that  upholds  him,  and  other 
kindred  questions  were  asked,  the  most  plausible 
account  which  could  be  obtained  amounted  to 
the  startling  blasphemy  of  attributing  the  whole 
to  the  wisdom  of  God  ! 

These  inquiring  minds  indulged  in  the  liberty 
of  calling  in  question  the  existence  of  that  hell, 
in  the  invisible,  eternal  world,  the  belief  of  which 
the  doctors  of  the  church  have  taught  to  their 
people  for  many  ages.  And  now,  what  account 
were  our  divines  able  to  furnish  concerning  this 
dark,  gloomy  state  of  endless  woe?  Nothing 
more  than  that  they  knew  nothing  about  it. 
True,  they  would  say  that  we  read  of  hell  in  the 
Bible,  but  they  were  utterly  unable  to  show  that 
a  single  passage  gave  countenance  to  the  exist- 
ence of  such  a  hell  as  they  professed  to  believe 
in,  and  in  which  they  taught  the  people  to 
believe.  And  as  such  a  belief  is  evidently  dis- 
honorable to  the  character  of  our  heavenly  Father, 
it  was  rejected  as  an  abominable  superstition. 


ON    UNIVERSALIS.  OO 

As  some  of  those  exploded  superstitions  had 
been  retained  by  the  early  defenders  of  Univer- 
salism,  it  was  alarming  to  them  to  be  assured 
that  their  younger  brethren,  who  preached  the 
glorious  doctrine  of  universal  salvation,  had  repu- 
diated those  doctrines  which  they  had  never 
called  in  question.  And  now  arose  a  conflict 
between  the  preachers  of  Universalism,  almost  as 
sharp  as  that  which  had  been  carried  on  between 
Universalists  and  their  opposers ;  and  had  it  not 
been  that  the  spirit  imparted  to  all  who  believed 
in  that  one  central  idea  of  universal,  impartial, 
and  unchangeable  love,  predominated  in  directing 
their  feelings  and  measures,  lamentable  conse- 
quences might  have  been  realized.  But  such  as 
had  been  favored  with  new  discoveries,  realizing 
that  they  first  believed  in  universal  salvation, 
before  they  made  those  discoveries,  and  even  by 
the  assistance  of  their  fathers  in  the  faith,  would 
have  been  quite  unreasonable,  had  they  been 
either  uncharitable  or  ungrateful  towards  their 
elders  and  benefactors.  Such  considerations  were 
not  without  their  favorable  influence. 

The  doctrine  of  a  future  retribution,  or  of  a 


36  A    SHORT    ESSAY 

state  hereafter  in  which  the  sins  of  this  life  will 
be  punished,  was  not  denied  by  any  of  the  early 
defenders  of  final  restoration.  The  belief  that 
there  will  be  an  end  of  sin  and  of  its  punishment 
was  received  with  such  transporting  joy,  that 
minor  subjects  were  little  thought  of.  Those  in 
our  times,  who  are  led  to  yield  an  assent  to  the 
doctrine  of  Universalism,  rarely  feel  such  ecstatic 
joy  as  did  the  first  believers.  The  reason  is, 
those  who  now  become  convinced  of  the  truth  of 
the  doctrine  have  so  long  lived  in  the  atmosphere 
of  the  doctrine,  that  they  have,  by  degrees, 
become  fully  convinced,  having  been  inclined  that 
way  for  years.  As  early  as  were  repudiated 
those  opinions  which  have  been  noticed,  that  of 
a  future  state  of  punishment  was  called  in  ques- 
tion, and  in  process  of  a  few  years  was  by  many 
disbelieved.  By  the  writer  of  these  pages  this 
doctrine  has  been  doubted  more  than  half  a  cen- 
tury, and  for  nearly  forty  years  has  been  dis- 
believed, as  being  taught  in  the  Scriptures. 
Difference  of  opinion  on  this  question,  though  at 
one  time,  and  for  a  little  while,  produced  a  rent 
among  our  clergy;  the  healing  power  of  the  main 


ON    UNIVERSALIS^,  o  / 

doctrine  soon  overcame  all  difficulty,  which,  for  a 

long  time,   has    given  us  no   trouble.     Though 

there  are  some  now  who  believe  in  what  is  called 

future  retribution,  we  know  of  none  wifo  pretend 

to  prove  it  by  Divine  revelation,  or  dwell  on  it  in 

their  preaching.,    We  know  of  no  passages  of 

Scripture,  which  teach  the  doctrine  of  a  future 

state,  which  imply  the  existence  of  either  sin  or 

punishment  in  that  state.     Could  we  find  any 

such  testimony,  we  should  then  need  Scripture 

proof  that  such  sin  and  punishment  will  have  an 

end,  in  order  to  be  consistent  Universalists. 

Owing  to  the  age  and  infirmities  of  the  writer 

of  this  article,  he  cannot  expect  to  be  able,  much 

longer,  to  render  any  considerable  service  to  the 

infinitely  glorious  cause  to  whose  interest  he  has 

had  the  happy  privilege  of  devoting  his  humble 

talents  for  nearly  sixty  years.     But  while  holding 

himself  ready  to  resign  his  armor,  at  the  word  of 

command,  he  cannot  fully  express  his  gratitude 

for  what  he  sees  of  the  wonderful  spread  of  truth, 

and  for  the  numerous  army  which  he  will  leave 

in  its  future  defence. 
4 


ADVICE  TO  YOUNG  MEN 

WHO  DESIGN  TO  ENTER  THE  MINISTRY. 


It  cannot  appear  unreasonable  to  any  thinking, 
serious  mind,  that  one  who  has  spent  nearly  sixty 
years  in  the  ministry  of  Christ,  and  his  gospel, 
and  whose  lot  has  been  to  contend  against  those 
erroneous  doctrines  which  for  ages  have  held  the 
minds  of  men  in  chains  of  darkness,  and  who,  in 
conflict  with  the  learned  advocates  of  those  doc- 
trines, has  been  compelled  to  bear  all  that  reproach 
which  the  enemies  of  Divine  truth  felt  themselves 
justified  in  heaping  on  one  who  showed  no  dis- 
position to  cringe  before  them,  or  to  shun  exposing 
their  errors,  should,  at  that  advanced  age  which 
evidently  indicates  that  his  labors  are  drawing 
to  a  close,  feel  a  concern  for,  and  be  mindful  of, 
those  who  may  be  called  to  the  ministry  of  gospel 
truth  hereafter.  Not  that  he  feels  any  con- 
cern for  fear  the  cause  of  Divine  truth  will  not 


ADVICE    TO    YOUNG   MEN. 


39 


find  faithful  laborers  in  its  defence ;  for  he  now 
has  the  joy  of  beholding  many  around  him, 
devoted  to  the  work,  and  whose  labors  are  evi- 
dently blessed.  But  it  is  to  be  feared  that  some, 
who  have  engaged  in  this  profession,  have  either 
mistaken  their  proper  calling,  or  have  but  too 
imperfectly  prepared  themselves  for  the  duties 
and  labors  which  the  calling  demands. 

A  young  man  may  be  sincere,  honest,  a  true 
believer,  have  a  commendable  zeal,  and  have  a 
heart  so  warmed  with  the  spirit  of  Christ,  and  of 
universal  benevolence,  that  he  may  feel  that  it  is 
hi-s  duty  to  enter  the  ministry  at  once,  and  devote 
himself  to  its  public  services ;  and  yet,  it  may  be, 
he  has  mistaken  his  proper  calling.  There  are 
many  things  which  might  be  wanting  in  such  a 
case.  A  want  of  a  suitable  education  would  be 
a  serious  objection  to  his  immediate  entrance  into 
the  ministry.  In  our  country,  and  in  our  times, 
there  is  no  necessity  which  requires  a  young  man 
to  engage  in  a  profession,  destitute  of  an  education 
suitable  to  the  performance  of  its  duties.  But 
there  are  other  considerations  to  which  careful 
regard  ought  to  be  paid,  before  the  youth  should 


40  ADVICE    TO    YOUNG    MEN 

decide  to  make  the  ministry  his  profession.  Does 
he  desire  this  calling,  because  it  is  honorable  in  the 
sight  of  the  world  ?  If  so,  he  is  advised  not  to 
engage  in  it.  If  the  honors  of  the  world  allure 
to  this  choice,  the  ministration  of  Divine  truth 
will  never  be  benefited  by  his  labors,  and  he 
himself  will  be  likely  to  live  and  wonder  why  he 
is  so  little  esteemed.  The  hour  is  coming,  and 
now  is,  when  the  pure  gospel,  in  its  simplicity, 
shall  be  the  desire  and  delight  of  the  people,  and 
those  who  are  true  to  its  principles,  and  faithful 
in  its  ministration,  will  be  partakers  of  that  honor 
which  cometh  from  God  only. 

Any  natural  impediment  in  speaking,  which 
cannot  be  overcome,  is  a  sufficient  objection. 
Let  no  one  think  of  entering  the  ministry,  with 
an  expectation  of  living  an  easy,  idle  life ;  or  of 
moving  in  fashionable  circles,  or  of  living  luxu- 
riously. The  ministry  of  the  gospel  wants  no 
idlers  ;  it  cannot  endure  them  ;  it  requires  much 
study,  much  labor,  and  constant  care,  that  no  part 
of  duty  is  neglected.  If  a  young  man  has  a 
strong  dislike  to  study  and  reading,  he  had  better 
choose  some  other  calling.     The  Bible  should  be 


WHO    DESIGN    ENTERING    THE    MINISTRY. 


41 


much  read  and  carefully  studied ;  and  there  are 
many  other  books  which  should  be  read,  to  assist 
the  minister  of  the  word.  Unless  a  strong  desire 
to  spend  much  time  in  fashionable  circles  can  be 
overcome,  and  a  disposition  to  be  familiar  with 
the  poor  acquired,  there  will  be  an  indispensable 
qualification  wanting. 

The  youth  who  would  enter  the  ministry 
should  ask  himself  such  questions  as  the  follow- 
ing :  Do  I  understandingly  believe  in  the  exist- 
ence of  that  God  of  whom  the  Scriptures  speak  ? 
Do  I  sincerely  believe  in  the  inspiration  of  the 
prophecies  concerning  a  Messiah  ?  Do  I  also 
believe  that  Jesus,  who  was  crucified,  was  the 
true  Messiah,  and  that  he  did  the  works  which 
the  New  Testament  inform  us  he  did  ?  Do  I 
believe  that  the  crucified  arose  from  the  dead  ? 
Do  I  believe  that  the  benefits  of  the  Christian 
dispensation  were  designed  by  our  Creator  for 
the  final  benefit  of  all  men,  and  that,  in  the  ful- 
ness of  times,  by  the  Father  appointed,  all  men 
will  become  partakers  of  such  benefit  ?  If,  after 
due  consideration,  and  after  using  all  the  neces- 
sary means  to  obtain  satisfaction  on  these  ques- 
4* 


42  ADVICE    TO    YOUNG    MEN 

tions,  they  can  be  answered  in  the  affirmative,  so 
far  as  belief  is  concerned,  there  seems  no  objec- 
tion to  the  choice  he  has  made  of  his  future 
calling.  But  there  is  this  question  relative  to  his 
choice,  which  he  ought  duly  to  consider :  Do  I 
undertake  the  duties  and  labors  of  this  profession 
because  I  love  to  perform  them,  and  fully  believe  I 
shall  enjoy  these  duties  better  than  those  of  any 
other  calling  ?  If  this  question  cannot  be  answered 
in  the  affirmative,  some  business,  some  labor  bet- 
ter liked,  should  be  chosen.  It  cannot  reasonably 
be  supposed  that  a  man  will  succeed  well  in 
a  calling  which  he  does  not  like.  It  should  be  the 
aim  of  parents  and  guardians,  to  find  out  what 
employment  is  best  suited  to  the  natural  genius 
of  those  young  men  whom  God  has  committed  to 
their  care,  and  to  give  them  all  necessary  assist- 
ance in  their  power,  to  follow  whatever  honest 
calling  best  suits  them.  It  is  injudicious  and 
unkind  to  persuade  a  young  man,  contrary  to  his 
inclination  and  choice,  to  engage  in  any  profession 
or  calling.  If,  for  instance,  a  physician  would 
prefer  any  other  calling  than  his  own,  how  reluc- 
tantly must  he  attend  to  all  those  intricate  studies 


WHO    DESIGN    ENTERING    THE    MINISTRY.         43 

which  are  necessary  to  his  success,  and  to  the 
saving  of  the  lives  of  his  patients!  And  how 
painful  must  it  be  to  him,  to  be  called  on  at  all 
hours,  by  day  and  by  night,  to  attend  the  sick  ! 
Destitute  of  a  love  of  his  calling,  it  is  unreason- 
able to  suppose  the  professed  minister  of  the 
gospel  will  do  that  justice  to  his  calling  which 
the  great  variety  of  its  duties  requires,  or  enjoy, 
as  every  man  should,  the  business  in  which  he  is 
engaged. 

As  love  is  the  great  and  most  powerful  prin- 
ciple which  moves  man  to  action,  so  it  is  the  only 
principle  on  which  reliance  can  safely  be  placed, 
that  all  required  duties  will  be  faithfully  per- 
formed. Unless,  therefore,  a  man  is  sensible 
that  he  loves  all  the  great  truths  of  the  gospel  of 
Christ  more  than  all  the  salary  he  may  obtain 
for  ministerial  services,  and  more  than  all  the 
honors  which  people  may  bestow  on  him,  the 
ministry  is  unsafe  in  his  hands.  Directed  and 
impelled  by  this  love,  small  natural  abilities,  as 
well  as  the  great,  will  be  found  profitable  in  their 
several  spheres  of  duty.  But  as  to  great  and 
small,  in  relation  to  man's  abilities,  we  are  liable 


44  ADVICE    TO    YOUNG    MEN 

to  come  to  wrong  conclusions.  All  the  vast 
variety  of  talents  given  to  man  are  useful  and 
indispensable,  and,  if  properly  directed  and  em- 
ployed, are  useful  and  estimable.  Some  preachers 
may  possess  what  may  be  called  popular  talents, 
and  draw,  on  occasions,  large  congregations ; 
others  may  not,  in  this  respect,  be  equally 
esteemed ;  but  this  difference  by  no  means  argues 
that  the  former  class  are  the  best  ministers,  or 
the  most  useful  pastors. 

In  respect  to  particular  tenets,  not  included  in 
those  great  principles  of  doctrine  in  which  all 
who  believe  in  those  essential  truths  which  distin- 
guish Universalists  from  other  Christian  denomi- 
nations agree,  it  is  reasonable  that  every  one 
should  enjoy  his  own  views,  and  defend  them  in 
his  own  way,  without  forfeiting  Christian  fellow- 
ship. At  the  present  time,  many  preachers  seem 
to  be  led  into  speculations  with  regard  to  the 
particulars  of  man's  future  state ;  and,  as  might 
naturally  be  expected,  a  variety  of  opinions  have 
been  adopted.  Some  believe  that  all  enter  the 
future  state  in  one  and  the  same  condition,  as  to 
moral  purity ;  some  think  that  it  will  require  a 


WHO    DESIGN    ENTERING    THE    MINISTRY.  45 

process  of  purgation,  to  bring  what  they  call  the 
wicked   into  a  state  of  holiness;  some  think  that 
there  will  be,  in  the  future  state,  different  grades 
as  to  intellectual  and  moral  improvement,  as  there 
are  in  this  mortal  life ;  some  are  of  opinion   that 
those  who  are  here  acquainted  with  each  other, 
such  as  husbands  and  wives,  such  as  parents  and 
children,  such  as  brothers  and  sisters,  such  as  are 
here  friends  or  enemies,  will  know  each  other  in 
the    future  world  as  they  know  them  in  this. 
And  there  are  other  speculative   notions  which 
are  contended  for,  any  or  all  of  which  may  be 
assented  to,  without   leading  to  a  renunciation 
of  the  essential  doctrine  of  Christianity,  or   of 
amounting  to  a  just  cause  of  a  dissolution  of 
Christian    fellowship.      As   to  giving  advice   to 
young  men  in  regard  to  these  speculations,  it  is 
deemed  safe  to  say,  that  it  must  be  unprofitable 
to  spend  much  time  or  study  to  frame  opinions 
nowhere   intimated    in    the    Scriptures,  and  the 
truth  of  which  we  have  no  means  of  ascertain- 
ing.   It  is  well  that  we  avoid  any  opinions  which 
are    used   for   evil  ends.     Should   any  one,   by 
believing  his   great   attainments,  while    in  this 


46  ADVICE    TO    YOUNG   MEN 

momentary  state,  are  to  place  him  far  in  advance 
of  millions  of  others,  in  the  future  world,  tend  to 
fill  his  mind  with  pride  and  self-conceit,  in  place 
of  doing  him  any  good,  it  would  deprive  him  of 
that  meekness  and  humility  which  are  essential 
to  his  present  happiness,  and  cannot  fail  to  lessen 
his  usefulness.  Or  should  any  one  urge  the 
belief  of  such  an  opinion,  as  an  inducement  to 
others  to  improve  in  holiness  and  virtue,  should 
he  succeed,  he  would  place  that  high  station  in 
the  future  world  as  the  object  to  be  gained,  in 
place  of  holiness  and  virtue  themselves  !  In  order 
to  see  this  subject  in  its  true  light,  let  it  be  sim- 
plified as  follows  :  True  holiness  consists  in  love 
to  God  and  in  love  to  mankind.  Now,  if  we 
profess  to  love  thus  for  the  reward  of  a  high 
station  above  our  fellow-men  in  the  future  state, 
it  is  evident  that  it  is  not  love  to  God  nor  love  to 
man,  but  the  love  of  being  exalted  above  other 
men  in  the  future  world,  which  is  the  object  of 
our  love.  Such  is  the  real  character  of  all  our 
pretended  obedience,  while  the  expectation  of  a 
future  reward  is  our  motive.  It  is  reasonable, 
therefore,  that  young  ministers  of  the  Word  of 


WHO    DESIGN    ENTERING   THE    MINISTRY.        47 

Life  should  be  cautious  not  to  deceive  them- 
selves, or  anybody  else,  on  a  subject  of  such  vital 
importance. 

It  is  to  be  feared  that  some,  who  profess  Uni- 
versalism,  and  are  engaged  in  the  ministry,  are 
desirous  of  rendering  their  labors  acceptable  to 
our, brethren  of  the  Unitarian  denomination,  by 
adopting  such  like  opinions,  and  holding  them 
forth  in  public.  By  so  doing,  they  seem  to  indi- 
cate that  their  sympathies  are  rather  with  the 
Unitarians  than  with  those  Universalists  who 
preach  no  other  sentiments  to  their  congregations 
than  such  as  the  Scriptures  teach. 

On  the  subject  which  embraces  the  great  field 
of  ministerial  study  and  preaching,  some  sugges- 
tions may  be  profitable.  That  great  field  is  the 
Bible.  While  ministers  rlrofess  to  believe  that 
the  Scriptures  contain  a  Divine  revelation,  and 
while  they  solemnly  receive  them  as  their  guide 
in  their  profession,  they  ought  not  to  neglect  the 
study  of  them  ;  they  should  be  read  with  great 
care  and  critical  attention.  By  so  reading  this 
most  valuable  of  all  books,  the  minister  becomes 
acquainted  with  the  history  of  the  chosen  people, 


48  ADVICE    TO    YOUNG    MEN 

their  laws  and  customs,  and  with  much  of  the 
history  of  other  nations  who  surrounded  them. 
Also,  by  such  reading,  an  acquaintance  is  obtained 
with  the  promises  which  God  made  to  the  patri- 
archs, and  with  all  the  prophecies  concerning  the 
Jews  and  other  nations,  and  in  particular  with 
the  prophecies  concerning  the  Messiah,  and  his 
reign  on  the  earth.  The  New  Testament  gives 
an  account  of  the  exact  fulfilment  of  all  the 
prophets  spake  concerning  Christ;  and  gives  us 
a  true  history  of  his  teachings,  his  miracles,  his 
precepts,  his  sufferings,  his  death,  and  resurrec- 
tion. Here,  too,  we  have  an  account  of  the 
travels  and  labors  of  the  apostles  of  Jesus,  and 
many  epistles  written  by  them,  all  full  of  matter 
from  which  may  be  drawn  all  possible  subjects 
necessary  to  furnish  the  preacher  with  the  bread 
of  life,  with  which  he  may  abundantly  feed  the 
people  with  knowledge  and  understanding. 

The  custom  which  now  seems  to  prevail,  of 
reading  a  text  of  Scripture  as  the  subject  of  a 
sermon,  and  then  delivering  a  discourse  suitable 
for  a  lyceum  lecture,  having  no  special  reference 
to  the  subject  of  the  passage  read,  has  a  direct 


WHO    DESIGN    ENTERING    THE    MINISTRY.         49 

tendency  to  set  the  Scriptures  aside,  and  to  so 
corrupt  public,  taste  as  to  render  the  inspired 
Word  undesirable.  Should  this  practice  so  pre- 
vail as  to  become  general,  it  must  have  the  effect 
of  depriving  society  of  the  rich  instruction  deriv- 
able from  that  treasure  which  is  designed  to 
make  us  wise  unto  salvation. 

We  may  be  asked  if  no  other  books  are  to  be 
read  than  the  Bible  ?  To  this  question  the 
answer  is,  any  book  may  be  profitably  studied, 
which  can  assist  the  preacher  to  understand  the 
Scriptures,  and  to  learn  their  true  sense.  There 
are  many  learned  annotations,  by  many  authors 
of  different  denominations,  any  of  which  may 
doubtless  be  of  service  to  the  young  preacher, 
who,  by  their-  assistance,  may  make  himself 
acquainted  with  the  manners  and  customs,  laws 
and  governments,  of  different  people  of  which  the 
Scriptures  speak.  This  knowledge  is  necessary, 
in  order  to  understand  the  many  figurative 
portions  of  Scripture ;  but  let  the  student  put 
little  dependence  on  the  correctness  of  the  appli- 
cation of  Scripture,  in  proof  of  any  doctrine,  found 
in  annotations.  It  is  not  safe  to  use  annotations 
5 


50  ADVICE    TO    YOUNG   MEN 

as  authority  to  prove  the  truth  of  any  doctrine. 
The  best  authority  by  which  we  may  determine 
the  true  application  of  Scripture,  is  the  Scriptures 
themselves.  If  we  are  in  doubt  as  to  the  mean- 
ing of  any  particular  passage,  search  the  Scrip- 
tures to  find  what  other  passages  say  on  the  same 
subject;  and  by  a  careful  comparison,  the  true 
meaning  will  appear.  Nor  would  we  restrict  the 
young  preacher  to  the  Bible,  and  to  annotations 
on  the  Bible ;  if  he  has  not  already  made  himself 
acquainted  with  ancient  and  modern  history,  and 
with  the  history  of  the  church,  he  should  improve 
all  the  time  he  can  spare  from  other  duties,  to 
read  approved  historians.  As  to  other  lighter 
reading,  the  preacher  should  be  cautious  that 
time  is  not  wasted  on  that  which  is  of  no  profit. 
But  we  ought  not  to  neglect  to  make  ourselves 
acquainted  with  any  solid  improvement  which 
may  favor  our  own  times. 

Reformation  and  general  improvement  are  now 
loudly  called  for,  by  the  demands  of  the  age,  and 
it  is  rebellion  against  the  evident  requirements 
of  Divine  wisdom,  to  blindly  oppose  what  the 
good  of  our  race  calls  for.     But  wisdom,  which 


WHO    DESIGN    ENTERING    THE    MINISTRY. 


51 


dwells  with  prudence,  should  be  allowed  to  direct 
all  our  enterprises;  and  great  caution  is  neces- 
sary, lest  we  injure  a  good  cause.  Jesus  said  : 
"  Every  plant  which  my  heavenly  Father  hath 
not  planted  shall  be  rooted  up  !  "  But  he  would 
not  allow  such  premature  labor  as  would  waste 
and  destroy  the  wheat  with  the  tares.  The  first 
thing  that  we  should  make  ourselves  sure  of,  is 
that  we  know  what  manner  of  spirit  we  are  of, 
and  that  the  water  we  are  about  to  use  for  the 
purpose  of  cleansing  is  not  as  filthy  as  is  that  we 
would  cleanse.  Our  conservative  brother  should 
be  treated  kindly.  There  may  be  a  mote  in  his 
eye,  but  the  eye  is  a  tender,  sensitive  member, 
and  a  rude,  unskilful  effort  to  remove  the  mote 
may  destroy  the  sight.  By  these  suggestions,  is 
intended  to  show  the  necessity  of  being  guided  by 
a  right  spirit.  This  spirit  is  love,  impartial  love. 
One  of  the  reformations  which  the  age  now  calls 
for,  is  the  abolition  of  slavery.  Let  us  take  this 
subject  as  a  sample.  Here,  then,  are  the  poor, 
unhappy,  wronged  slave,  and  his  unfeeling  master. 
Now,  if  wre  love  the  slave  and  hate  the  master, 
what  do  we  more  than  others,  who  are  no  more 


52  ADVICE    TO    YOUNG    MEN 

partial  than  ourselves?  While  we  regard  the 
rights  of  the  slave,  and  pity  him,  should  we  feel 
no  pity  for  the  owner  of  the  slave,  who,  perhaps, 
has  had  no  agency  in  becoming  the  unblest 
possessor  of  such  forbidden  property  ?  That 
slavery  is  a  sin,  in  the  eye  of  Christianity,  and 
in  the  eye  of  humanity,  all  must  allow;  but 
where  it  exists  it  is  a  legalized  sin,  and  it  lies 
at  the  door  of  those  who  have  made  the  laws. 
We  may,  by  God's  blessing,  as  ministers  of  an 
impartial  gospel,  do  much  in  communicating 
that  enlightening  truth,  which,  when  universally 
known,  will  give  freedom  to  all  men. 

"  Take  heed  to  thyself,"  is  an  apostolic  injunc- 
tion. Every  young  minister  is  advised  to  have 
a  careful  eye  on  himself.  We  have  no  enemies 
who  can  inflict  on  us  such  deadly  wrongs,  as 
those  we  are  in  danger  of  receiving  from  our  own 
imprudence.  "  Who  is  he  that  will  harm  you, 
if  ye  be  followers  of  that  which  is  good  ? " 

It  seems  evident,  that  God  has  called  but  few, 
if  any,  to  labor  in  the  ministry  of  universal  sal- 
vation, who  are  rich  in  temporal  means  of  a  live- 
lihood.    Our  preachers  are,  therefore,  generally 


WHO    DESIGN    ENTERING    THE    MINISTRY. 


53 


dependent  on  the  people  to  whom  they  minister, 
for  their  support,  and  the  support  of  their  families, 
if  they  have  any.  In  connection  with  this  fact, 
another  should  be  considered.  The  largest  part 
of  community  who  adhere  to  our  faith  are  the 
laboring  class.  From  these  considerations,  it 
follows,  that  the  minister  should  live  in  so 
prudent  a  manner  as  not  to  be  too  burdensome 
to  his  supporters,  nor  to  involve  himself  in  debts 
beyond  his  means  of  paying.  Too  often  has  it 
happened  that,  owing  to  embarrassments,  preach- 
ers have  left  their  places  and  societies,  owing 
their  best  friends,  who  have  labored  hard  and 
lived  prudently,  to  save  what  the  imprudent 
minister  has  spent  and  will  never  pay.  To  point 
out  all  the  evils  growing  out  of  such  facts  would 
require  a  volume. 

.  Meekness  and  humility  are  recommended  to 
young  preachers.  Without  such  virtues,  little 
peace  or  contentment  can  be  enjoyed.  The  young 
are  too  apt  to  think  and  to  feel  that  it  is  due  to 
them  to  occupy  as  favorable  stations  as  do  those 
who  have  labored  many  years,  and  encountered 

hardships   which    those    who    now    engage    in 
5* 


54  ADVICE    TO    YOUNG   MEN. 

our  ministry  will,  if  they  are  prudent  and  faith- 
ful, never  be  called  on  to  endure.  "  Let  patience 
have  its  perfect  work."  The  way  to  gain  much 
is  to  be  faithful  in  a  little ;  and  be  assured,  that 
in  the  little,  there  is,  to  say  the  least,  as  much 
real  enjoyment,  as  in  ever  so  much. 

The  ministry  is  a  spiritual  warfare.  There- 
fore, "  Put  on  the  whole  armor  of  God,  that  ye 
may  be  able  to  stand  against  the  wiles  of  the 
devil.  —  Stand,  therefore,  having  your  loins  girt 
about  with  truth,  and  having  on  the  breastplate 
of  righteousness;  and  your  feet  shod  with  the 
preparation  of  the  gospel  of  peace;  above  all, 
taking  the  shield  of  faith,  wherewith  ye  shall  be 
able  to  quench  all  the  fiery  darts  of  the  wicked." 

If  the  foregoing  advice  and  suggestions  shall, 
by  the  blessing  of  God,  in  any  degree  promote 
the  cause  of  truth  and  righteousness,  and  be  of 
any  service  to  those  for  whose  good  I  earnestly 
pray,  for  it  let  God  be  glorified. 


A   SERMON, 

Delivered  in  Bleeker  Street  Church,  New  York,  at  the  Session 
of  the  General  Convention  of  Universalists,  Sept.  16,  1847. 


"I  beseech  you,  therefore,  brethren,  by  the  mercies  of  God, 
that  ye  present  your  bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable 
unto  God,  which  is  your  reasonable  service.  And  be  not 
conformed  to  this  world  ;  but  be  ye  transformed  by  the  renew- 
ing of  your  mind,  that  ye  may  prove  what  is  that  good,  and 
acceptable,  and  perfect  will  of  God."  — Rom.  xii.  1,  2. 

The  word  therefore,  in  the  first  member  of  the 
text,  shows  that  the  apostle  had  reference  to  what 
he  had  said  before.  And  here  it  is  well  to 
suggest  a  caution  which  all  should  regard,  not  to 
suppose  that  the  commencement  of  a  chapter  is 
always  the  beginning  of  a  subject.  It  is  often 
otherwise.  It  is  often  necessary  to  go  back,  and 
to  use  care  that  we  find  where  a  subject  begins, 
and  to  follow  the  connection,  and  keep  the  theme 
of  the  wrriter  in  mind ;  otherwise  we  may  read  to 
no  profit.  When  the  apostle  wrote  his  epistles, 
he  did  not  divide  them  into  chapters  and  verses, 


56  A    SERMON. 

but  wrote  as  we  write  our  letters,  without  such 
divisions.  These  divisions  were  made  for  the 
purpose  of  fixing  a  concordance  to  the  Scriptures. 

The  subject  on  which  our  author  labored  in 
the  preceding  chapter,  and  to  which  he  alludes 
in  the  first  verse  of  our  text,  is  that  of  the  mercies 
of  God.  "  I  beseech  you,  therefore,  brethren,  by 
the  mercies  of  God,  that  ye  present  your  bodies 
a  living  sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable  unto  God,  which 
is  your  reasonable  service,"  &c. 

Let  us  now  endeavor  to  obtain  an  understand- 
ing of  the  inspired  writer's  argument  respecting 
the  Divine  mercy,  as  manifested  in  the  all-wise 
economy  of  God. 

This  epistle  was  written  to  the  Christian  church 
at  Rome,  which  was  composed  of  both  Jews  and 
Gentiles ;  and  an  important  object  of  the  writer 
was  to  do  away  that  prejudice  which  existed  in 
the  minds  of  the  two  people  towards  each  other. 
We  find,  therefore,  on  reading  this  epistle,  that 
the  writer  speaks  sometimes  to  his  brethren,  the 
Jews ;  at  other  times,  to  Gentile  Christians. 

In  the  eleventh  chapter,  the  writer  addresses 
the  Gentile  Christians  in  regard  to  the  Jews,  who 


A    SERMON.  57 

had  rejected  Christ  and  his  doctrine  ;  had  stum- 
bled at  the  stumbling-stone  which  God  laid  in 
Zion,  and  were  broken  off  through  unbelief,  and 
is  careful  to  show  them  that  all  this  had  happened 
to  Israel,  according  to  the  appointments  of  Divine 
wisdom,  for  the  benefit  of  the  Gentiles.  See 
verse  11.  "I  say,  then,  have  they  stumbled  that 
they  should  fall  ?  God  forbid  ;  but  rather  through 
their  fall  salvation  is  come  unto  the  Gentiles,  to 
provoke  them  to  jealousy."  Here  the  apostle  is 
careful  to  guard  the  Gentile  Christians  against 
supposing  that  the  blindness  and  unbelief  of  Israel 
were  designed  for  their  final  exclusion  from  Divine 
favor.  See  what  follows.  "  Now,  if  the  fall  of 
them  be  the  riches  of  the  world,  and  the  dimin- 
ishing of  them  the  riches  of  the  Gentiles ;  how 
much  more  their  fulness  ?  For  I  speak  to  you, 
Gentiles,  inasmuch  as  I  am  the  apostle  of  the 
Gentiles,  I  magnify  mine  office  ;  if  by  any  means 
I  may  provoke  to  emulation  them  which  are  my 
flesh,  and  might  save  some  of  them.  For  if  the 
casting  away  of  them  be  the  reconciling  of  the 
world,  what  shall  the  receiving  of  them  be  but 
life  from  the  dead  ? " 


58 


A   SERMON. 


As  wrong  views  of  the  Divine  favor  are  gener- 
ally attended  with  pernicious  effects  on  the  human 
heart,  causing  it  to  be  puffed  up  with  pride,  the 
apostle  is  careful  to  put  his  Christian  brethren  on 
their  guard.  See  verse  25  and  on.  "  For  I  would 
not,  brethren,  that  ye  should  be  ignorant  of  this 
mystery,  (lest  ye  should  be  wise  in  your  own 
conceit,)  that  blindness  in  part  is  happened  to 
Israel,  until  the  fulness  of  the  Gentiles  be  come 
in.  And  so  all  Israel  shall  be  saved ;  as  it  is 
written,  There  shall  come  out  of  Zion  the  deliverer, 
and  shall  turn  away  ungodliness  from  Jacob. 
For  this  is  my  covenant  unto  them  when  I  shall 
take  away  their  sins.  As  concerning  the  gospel, 
they  are  enemies  for  your  sakes  ;  but  as  touching 
the  election,  they  are  beloved  for  the  fathers' 
sake.  For  the  gifts  and  calling  of  God  are  with- 
out repentance.  For  as  ye  in  times  past  have 
not  believed  God,  yet  have  now  obtained  mercy 
through  their  unbelief.;  even  so  have  these  also 
now  not  believed,  that  through  your  mercy  they 
also  may  obtain  mercy.  For  God  hath  concluded 
them  all  in  unbelief,  that  he  might  have  mercy 
upon  all."     Having  brought  this  immensely  im- 


A    SERMON.  59 

portant  and  glorious  subject  to  a  close,  and  feeling 
his  soul  elated  with  views  of  Divine  mercy  so 
vast  and  wonderful,  he  exclaimed,  "  O  the  depth 
of  the  riches  both  of  the  wisdom  and  knowledge 
of  God !  how  unsearchable  are  his  judgments, 
and  his  ways  past  finding  out !  For  who  hath 
known  the  mind  of  the  Lord,  or  who  hath  been 
his  counsellor  ?  Or  who  hath  first  given  unto 
him,  and  it  shall  be  recompensed  unto  him  again  ? 
For  of  him,  and  through  him,  and  to  him,  are  all 
things;  to  whom  be  glory  forever,  amen."  The 
next  words  are  those  of  our  text :  "  I  beseech  you, 
therefore,  brethren,  by  the  mercies  of  God,  that 
ye  present  your  bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy, 
acceptable  unto  God,  which  is  your  reasonable 
service.  And  be  not  conformed  to  this  world; 
but  be  ye  transformed  by  the  renewing  of  your 
mind,  that  ye  may  prove  what  is  that  good,  and 
acceptable,  and  perfect  will  of  God." 

Let  it  be  kept  in  mind  that  the  apostle  presents 
the  mercies  of  God,  which  effectually  embrace  the 
fulness  of  both  Jews  and  Gentiles,  as  the  founda- 
tion of  all  the  Christian  duty  which  he  enjoins  on 
believers    in    Jesus.     By   this  we    see    that  the 


60  A    SERMON. 

mercy  of  God  is  not  obtained  by  our  obedience ; 
but  our  obedience  is  the  natural  fruit  of  the  Divine 
mercy.  And  this  is  clearly  expressed  by  the 
apostle  to  the  Ephesians,  thus  :  "  But  God,  who 
is  rich  in  mercy,  for  his  great  love  wherewith  he 
loved  us,  even  when  we  were  dead  in  sins,  hath 
quickened  us  together  with  Christ.  .  .  .  For 
by  grace  are  ye  saved  through  faith ;  and  that 
not  of  yourselves ;  it  is  the  gift  of  God  ;  not  of 
works,  lest  any  man  should  boast.  For  we  are 
his  workmanship,  created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto 
good  works,  which  God  hath  before  ordained  that 
we  should  walk  in  them." 

We  will  not  proceed  to  enforce  the  duties 
enjoined  in  our  text,  until  an  important  queiy, 
which  is  now  undoubtedly  agitating  many  minds 
in  this  assembly  be  duly  solved.  The  question  is, 
Of  what  benefit  was  the  unbelief  of  the  Jews  to 
the  Gentiles?  Or  how  was  it  that  the  Gentiles 
obtained  mercy  through  the  unbelief  of  the  Jews  ? 
In  order  the  more  easily  to  throw  the  light  of  this 
subject  into  the  mind  of  the  hearer,  we  will  sup- 
pose that  the  Jews,  as  a  people,  with  their  rulers, 
and  the  whole  estate  of  their  elders,  had  received 


A    SERMON.  61 

Jesus  as  their  expected  Messiah  ;  had  all  repented 
of  their  sins,  and  believed  the  doctrine  he  taught ; 
what  would  they  have  done  more  ?  Or  how 
would  they  have  treated  the  Son  of  God  ?  They 
would  have  pressed  him  to  their  bosoms;  they 
would  have  carried  him  in  state  and  splendor 
from  synagogue  to  synagogue  ;  they  would  have 
called  on  all  the  people  of  the  land  to  hear  the 
Divine  Teacher ;  and  a  glorious  reformation  would 
have  been  effected  in  the  land.  How  your  hearts 
now  swell  with  delight  at  such  a  scene  !  And 
how  deeply  do  you  regret  that  no  such  things  took 
place  !  But  suppose  these  things  had  happened, 
would  the  prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament  have 
been  fulfilled  ?  Would  what  Isaiah  says,  in  his 
53d  chapter,  all  have  taken  place  ?  Would  Jesus 
have  been  despised  and  rejected  of  men,  —  a  man 
of  sorrows  and  acquainted  with  grief?  Would 
he  have  been  wounded  for  our  transgressions,  and 
bruised  for  our  iniquities  ?  Would  the  chastise- 
ment of  our  peace  have  been  upon  him  ?  And 
should  we  have  been  healed  with  his  stripes  ? 
Would    he  have  been   oppressed  and  afflicted  ? 

Would  he  have  been  brought  as  a  lamb  to  the 
6 


62  A    SERMON. 

slaughter  ?  It  is  seen  at  once,  that,  had  not  the 
Jews,  as  a  people,  been  blinded  as  to  the  true 
character  of  Jesus,  they  would  not  have  perse- 
cuted and  put  him  to  death,  as  was  foretold  b.y 
the  prophets.  How,  then,  could  the  gospel  h&ve 
been  established  in  the  world,  founded  on  the  fact 
of  the  death  and  resurrection  of  Jesus,  according 
to  the  testimony  of  the  prophets  ?  If  those 
prophecies  had  not  been  fulfilled,  and  the  disciples 
of  Jesus  had  attempted  to  preach  him  among  the 
Gentiles  as  the  Messiah  promised  to  the  house  of 
Israel,  the  Gentiles  could  have  refuted  them  out 
of  the  prophets.  But  with  what  irresistible  force 
of  argument  did  the  disciples  proclaim  the  gospel 
to  the  Gentiles,  founded  on  the  entire  fulfilment 
of  all  which  the  prophets  have  said  !  The  dis- 
course which  Paul  delivered  in  the  synagogue  of 
the  Jews  at  Antioch,  in  Pisidia,  had  a  much 
more  favorable  effect  on  the  Gentiles  than  on  the 
Jews.  In  that  discourse,  the  apostle  holds  the 
following  language  :  "  Men  and  brethren,  children 
of  the  stock  of  Abraham,  and  whosoever  among 
you  feareth  God,  to  you  is  the  word  of  this  salva- 
tion sent.     For  they  that  dwell  at  Jerusalem,  and 


A    SERMON.  63 

their  rulers,  because  they  knew  him  not,  nor  yet 
the  voices  of  the  prophets  which  are  read  every 
Sabbath  day,  they  have  fulfilled  them  in  con- 
demning him.  And  though  they  found  no  cause 
of  death  in  him,  yet  desired  they  Pilate  that  he 
should  be  slain.  And  when  they  had  fulfilled  all 
that  was  written  of  him,  they  took  him  down 
from  the  tree,  and  laid  him  in  a  sepulchre.  But 
God  raised  him  from  the  dead.  And  he  was 
seen  many  days  of  them  which  came  up  with 
him  from  Galilee  to  Jerusalem,  who  are  his  wit- 
nesses unto  the  people.  And  we  declare  unto 
you  glad  tidings,  how  that  the  promise  which  was 
made  unto  the  fathers,  God  hath  fulfilled  the 
same  unto  us  their  children,  in  that  he  hath 
raised  up  Jesus  again."  Such  a  powerful  appeal 
carried  conviction  to  the  minds  of  the  Gentiles, 
who  desired  to  hear  the  apostle  the  next  Sabbath. 
Our  subject  is  now  clear;  and  we  see  that  the 
blindness  and  unbelief  of  the  Jews  were  the  means 
of  carrying  the  gospel  to  the  Gentiles,  which 
explains  the  sense  and  propriety  of  the  Saviour's 
address  to  his  Father,  where  he  said,  "  I  thank, 
thee,  O  Father,  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  because 


64  A    SERMON. 

thou  hast  hid  these  things  from  the  wise  and 
prudent,  and  hast  revealed  them  unto  babes. 
Even  so,  Father;  for  so  it  seemed  good  in  thy 
sight."  Well  did  Jesus  know  the  consequence 
to  himself  of  the  blindness  of  the  Jews,  and  yet 
he  thanked  his  Father  for  it ! 

I  have  often  thought  with  wonder,  that  our 
Christian  doctors  should  think  and  speak  so  much 
in  commendation  of  the  sufferings  of  Jesus,  and 
prize  those  sufferings  so  highly  as  they  do,  and 
yet  are  confident  that  those  who  inflicted  those 
sufferings  were  therefore  justly  rejected  from  that 
mercy  of  God,  which  they  believe  they  enjoy, 
which  comes  to  them  through  those  sufferings  ! 
However,  we  have  seen  that  God  concluded  both 
Jew  and  Gentile,  all  in  unbelief,  that  he  might 
have  mercy  upon  all. 

If  it  be  objected  to  the  arguments  to  which  we 
have  attended,  that  we  make  out  that  the  wicked 
conduct  of  the  Jews  was  so  overruled  by  the 
divine  wisdom  and  mercy  of  God,  that  it  resulted 
in  their  benefit,  so  far  from  denying  the  justice 
of  the  inference,  we  contend  for  the  principle  it 
embraces,  and   for   its  righteousness.     No  one, 


A    SERMON.  65 

acquainted  with  the  Scriptures,  will  deny  that 
God  overruled  the  wicked  conduct  of  Joseph's 
brethren  for  their  good.  Now  this  a  righteous 
God  would  not  have  done,  if  it  had  not  been 
right ;  and  if  it  was  right  to  do  so  in  one  case,  it 
is  right  in  all  cases.  This  theory  will  justify 
itself  in  a  practical  trial.  My  friend,  you  have 
an  enemy  who  wishes  to  do  you  harm,  and 
wrongs  you  in  various  instances.  Now  what  is 
your  duty  in  this  case  ?  In  the  first  place,  it  is 
your  duty  to  love  your  enemy.  You  have  a 
right,  if  you  can,  so  to  manage  as  not  only  to 
render  your  enemy's  wrongs  to  you  harmless, 
but  beneficial.  And  it  is  right,  also,  to  go  still 
further,  and  so  manage  as  to  render  your  enemy's 
wrongs  beneficial  to  himself.  This  is  overcoming 
evil  with  good ;  and  this  principle  is  the  very 
foundation  and  essence  of  the  gospel,  and  of  all 
true  religion.  This  is  the  pure  wisdom  of  God, 
and  all  which  comes  short  of  it,  or  opposes  it,  has 
no  higher  origin  than  the  wisdom  of  this  world, 
which  cometb  to  nought. 

Let  us  now  proceed  to  enforce  the  duty  enjoined 
in  our  text,  on  the  broad  foundation  of  the  mercies 
6* 


66  A    SERMON. 

of  God,  and  the  reasonableness  of  offering  our 
bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy  and  acceptable  unto 
God.  In  support  of  the  reasonableness  of  this 
service,  two  arguments  may  suffice.  Let  us,  for 
a  moment,  contemplate  ourselves,  —  our  physical 
organization.  How  "  fearfully  and  wonderfully 
we  are  made  ! "  God  is  the  author  of  every  part 
and  faculty  belonging  to  our  bodies.  We  had  no 
hand  in  this  work.  We  possess  not  a  single 
member  of  our  frames  because  we  asked  for  it, 
or  desired  it.  All  our  senses  are  the  free  gifts 
of  our  Creator;  and  are  all  organs  of  pleasure 
and  enjoyment.  Consider,  for  example,  the  eye. 
The  gift,  how  precious  !  All  the  wealth  of  the 
world  could  not  tempt  us  to  part  with  it.  Its 
utility  should  be  appreciated  with  gratitude  to  its 
author.  Who  can  estimate  the  value  of  that 
faculty  by  which  we  behold  the  beauties  of  nature, 
and  see  the  faces  of  those  we  love  ?  Consider 
the  ear.  It  would  require  a  volume  to  describe 
its  worth,  its  utility,  and  the  enjoyments  it  affords. 
May  I  speak  of  the  tongue  and  the  faculty  of 
speech  ?  Can  we  think  a  moment  of  this  blessed 
gift  without   adoring   the   author  of  it  ?     How 


A    SERMON.  67 

weighty  is  the  admonition  never  to  use  this 
faculty  to  dishonor  the  giver  !  Were  all  to  regard 
this  subject  as  they  ought,  our  ears  would  never 
be  offended  with  words  of  profanity,  nor  would 
the  tongue  ever  be  employed  to  defame,  or  inju- 
riously to  deceive.  If  we  duly  realize  that  God 
is  our  Creator,  and  that  we  owe  ourselves  wholly 
to  him,  the  reasonableness  of  the  apostle's  injunc- 
tion is  apparent.  But  this  reasonableness  appears 
evident  from  the  fact,  that  all  the  requirements 
of  our  heavenly  Father,  all  the  duties  he  has 
enjoined  on  us,  are  designed  for  our  good  and  for 
our  benefit  alone.  For  himself,  he  needs  not  our 
service.  He  is  infinitely  independent.  Does  he 
command  us  to  love  him  with  all  oifr  heart  ?  It 
is  because  that  in  so  doing  we  love  everything 
that  is  capable  of  affording  us  enjoyment.  Does 
he  command  us  to  love  one  another  as  we  love 
ourselves  ?  It  is  because  we  cannot  enjoy  our- 
selves, nor  our  fellow-creatures,  without  this  love. 
Just  as  deeply  as  we  are  interested  in  our  own 
happiness,  we  are  interested  in  keeping  the  com- 
mandments of  God.  In  this  correct  view  of  the 
Divine    requirements,    we   plainly   discover   the 


68  A    SERMON. 

reasonableness  of  the  service  enjoined  in  our  text. 
And  here,  too,  we  have  a  clear  understanding  of 
the  doctrine  of  Divine  government  in  regard  to 
rewards  and  punishments.  Any  compliance  with 
moral  duty  brings  a  corresponding  recompense  of 
enjoyment ;  any  departure  from  moral  duty  is  a 
corresponding  discount  on  our  happiness.  This 
perfect  law  of  our  moral  nature  is  so  duly  admin- 
istered, that  no  evasion  can  possibly  be  effected. 
For  obedience,  will  any  one  ask  for  something 
better  ?  Will  he  say  that  something  more  is  due  ? 
Will  he  inform  us  what  that  something  more  and 
better  is  ?  Is  there  anything  in  the  universe 
better  than  love  to  God  and  love  to  mankind  ? 
The  psalmist  gives  us  a  correct  statement  of  our 
subject  in  the  19th  Psalm.  "  The  law  of  the 
Lord  is  perfect,  converting  the  soul;  the  testi- 
mony of  the  Lord  is  sure,  making  wise  the  simple. 
The  statutes  of  the  Lord  are  right,  rejoicing  the 
heart;  the  commandment  of  the  Lord  is  pure, 
enlightening  the  eyes ;  the  fear  of  the  Lord  is 
clean,  enduring  forever;  the  judgments  of  the 
Lord  are  true  and  righteous  altogether.  More 
to  be  desired  are  they  than  gold,  yea,  than  much 


A    SERMON.  69 

fine  gold;  sweeter  also  than  honey,  and  the 
honeycomb.  Moreover,  by  them  is  thy  servant 
warned ;  and  in  keeping1  of  them  there  is  great 
reward." 

"  And  be  not  conformed  to  this  world  ;  but  be 
ye  transformed  by  the  renewing  of  your  mind." 
By  this  member  of  our  text,  we  are  reminded  of 
the  apostle's  fears  that  the  customs  of  the  people 
of  the  age  in  which  he  lived  would  exert  an 
influence  to  draw  the  minds  and  hearts  of  his 
Christian  brethren  into  conformity  with  them. 
And  who  can  wonder  at  his  apprehensions  ?  The 
Jewish  rites  and  ceremonies,  their  habits  and 
prejudices,  on  the  one  hand,  and  those  of  the 
Gentiles,  on  the  other,  were  so  imposing,  so  very 
popular  with  the  great  body  of  the  people,  that  it 
required  little  less  than  a  perpetual  miracle  to 
preserve  pure  Christianity  from  a  total  contami- 
nation of  their  corrupt  principles  and  practices.. 
How  natural  was  it  for  Jewish  Christians  to 
desire  to  make  their  religion  acceptable  to  the 
Jews,  and  thereby  avoid  the  contumely  heaped 
upon  them  by  those  with  whom  they  were  so 
nearly  connected !     Surely,  the  danger  was  not 


70  A    SERMON. 

small.  Nor  was  this  danger  less  with  Gentile 
Christians.  The  idolatry  in  which  they  had 
been  educated,  and  to  which  their  fathers  and 
mothers,  their  brothers  and  sisters,  had  been 
devoted,  and  still  were  devoted,  was  of  an  impos- 
ing- character.  It  was  expensive  and  splendid, 
and  well  adapted  to  gratify  human  pride  and 
human  passions.  Who  can  wonder  at  the  apos- 
tle's fear,  as  expressed  to  his  brethren  at  Corinth  ? 
"  For  I  am  jealous  over  you,  with  godly  jealousy  ; 
for  I  have  espoused  you  to  one  husband,  that  I 
might  present  you  as  a  chaste  virgin  to  Christ. 
But  I  fear,  lest  by  any  means,  as  the  serpent 
beguiled  Eve  through  his  subtilty,  so  your  minds 
should  be  corrupted  from  the  simplicity  that  is  in 
Christ."  In  the  Jewish  rituals  and  traditions, 
and  in  the  superstitious  devotions  and  abominable 
rites  of  the  Gentiles,  there  was  nothing  wanting 
to  cherish  the  pride,  the  vanity,  and  illicit  desires 
of  a  blind  multitude.  All  that  wealth  and  learn- 
ing could  do  to  impose  on  the  common  people, 
and  keep  them  in  ignorance  and  awe,  was  exerted 
with  a  vigilance  peculiar  to  a  hierarchy.  In  the 
high  places  filled  by  those  priests,  was  lodged 


A    SERMON. 


71 


that  spiritual  wickedness  of  which  the  apostle 
speaks  in  his  epistles  to  the  Ephesians.  "  Put  on 
the  whole  armor  of  God,  that  ye  may  be  able  to 
stand  against  the  wiles  of  the  devil.  For  we 
wrestle  not  against  flesh  and  blood,  but  against 
principalities,  against  powers,  against  the  rulers 
of  the  darkness  of  this  world,  against  spiritual 
wickedness  in  high  places." 

With  all  the  pomp,  with  all  the  glory,  with  all 
the  wealth,  and  all  the  learning  of  the  schools 
among  both  Jews  and  Gentiles,  let  us,  for  a  moment, 
compare  the  simplicity  that  was  in  Christ.  Born 
in  a  family  which  was  supported  by  mechanical 
labor ;  brought  up  in  laborious  habits ;  destitute  of 
wealth  and  the  honors  of  the  schools,  he  commenced 
his  public  labors.  To  assist  him  in  the  ministry  of 
his  doctrine,  a  few  fishermen,  and  others  of  useful 
occupations,  were  chosen.  The  doctrine  which 
Jesus  taught  was  as  simple  and  easy  to  under- 
stand as  the  common  affairs  of  life.  His  sermon 
on  the  mount,  containing  the  sublimest  beatitudes 
and  all  the  duties  of  life,  requires  but  ordinary 
talents  to  understand.  His  manner  of  teaching 
by  the  use  of  parables   communicated  truth  in 


72  A    SERMON. 

the  most  simple  manner.  When  he  justified 
his  favor  to  publicans  and  sinners,  of  which  he 
was  accused  by  the  Pharisees  and  Scribes,  how 
simple  was  his  method  !  "  What  man  of  you, 
having  an  hundred  sheep,  if  he  lose  one  of  them, 
doth  not  leave  the  ninety  and  nine  in  the  wilder- 
ness, and  go  after  that  which  is  lost,  until  he  find 
it  ?  and  when  he  hath  found  it,  he  layeth  it  on 
his  shoulder,  rejoicing.  And  when  he  cometh 
home,  he  calleth  together  his  friends  and  neigh- 
bors, saying  unto  them,  Rejoice  with  me;  for  I 
have  found  my  sheep  which  was  lost."  And  how 
sublimely  simple,  if  I  may  so  say,  was  his  appli- 
cation of  hi*  parable  !  "  I  say  unto  you,  that 
likewise  joy  shall  be  in  heaven  over  one  sinner 
that  fiagtenteth,  more  than  over  ninety  and  nine 
just  persons,  which  need  no  repentance."  On 
foot,  see  him  travel  from  city  to  city.  Fatigued 
and  weary  of  his  journey,  see  him  resting  him- 
self by  Jacob's  well  at  Sichar;  and  mark  the 
simplicity  of  his  conversation  with  the  woman  of 
Samaria.  To  set  his  disciples  an  example  of 
humility,  behold  him  who  gave  sight  to  the  blind, 
hearing  to  the  deaf,  healing  to  the  sick,  sound- 


A    SERMON.  73 

ness  to  the  maimed,  and  life  to  the  dead,  gird 
himself  with  a  towel  and  wash  their  feet. 

How  poorly  has  the  simplicity  which  is  in 
Christ  been  maintained  by  the  Christian  church  ! 
Read  its  history,  in  which  we  learn  its  conformity 
to  such  worldly  institutions  and  customs  as  are 
pleasing  to  human  ambition,  and  all  the  vain 
pride  and  corruption  which  characterized  pagan 
idolatry.  That  subtilty  with  which  the  serpent 
beguiled  Eve  is  constantly  at  work,  persuading 
us  to  seek  to  render  religion  popular  in  the  eyes 
of  the  world.  That  spiritual  wickedness  may  be 
maintained  in  high  places,  high  places  must  be 
established  and  supported.  So  deeply  is  the  love 
of  popular  esteem  rooted  in  the  heart,  that,  it 
is  to  be  feared,  many  are  inclined  to  concede 
to  opinions  and  customs  inconsistent  with  their 
better  judgment,  for  the  sake  of  that  shining 
phantom. 

The  renewal  of  mind  of  which  our  text  speaks, 
which  raises  the  soul  above  the  deceitful  charms 
of  that  honor  which  men  receive  one  of  another, 
and  directs  its  desires  towards  the  honor  which 
cometh  from  God  only,  will  enable  the  disciple 
7 


74  A    SERMON. 

of  Jesus  to  renounce  everything  contrary  to  "  that 
good,  and  acceptable,  and  perfect  will  of  God," 
and  to  make  proof  of  that  will  by  gaining  a  correct 
knowledge  of  it,  and  by  a  practical  conformity  of 
heart  and  life  to  its  divine  principles. 

Of  all  subjects  embraced  in  the  science  of 
theology,  no  one  can  take  precedency  of  the 
Divine  will.  This  will  must  embrace  the  ulti- 
mate result  of  the  Divine  economy,  as  revealed 
in  the  gospel  of  man's  salvation.  This  will  is 
specifically  set  forth  in  the  apostle's  argument, 
which  we  have  noticed  while  treating  on  the 
mercies  of  God.  Had  we  time,  it  would  be  a 
most  edifying  labor  to  trace  the  Scripture  declara- 
tions concerning  this  subject,  commencing  with 
the  promises  of  God  to  the  fathers,  and  following 
their  corroborations  through  all  the  declarations 
of  the  prophets.  Rut  we  must  only  add  to  what 
has  already  been  said,  several  passages  in  the 
epistles  of  St.  Paul.  To  the  Ephesians  he  says: 
"Wherein  he  hath  abounded  towards  us  in  all 
wisdom  and  prudence  ;  having  made  known  unto 
us  the  mystery  of  his  will,  according  to  his  good 
pleasure,   which  he  hath   purposed   in   himself; 


A    SERMON.  75 

that  in  the  dispensation  of  the  fulness  of  times, 
he  might  gather  together  in  one  all  things  in 
Christ,  both  which  are  in  heaven,  and  which  are 
on  earth,  even  in  him ;  in  whom  also  we  have 
obtained  an  inheritance,  being  predestinated 
according  to  the  purpose  of  him  who  worketh  all 
things  after  the  counsel  of  his  own  will."  In 
this  form  of  expressing  the  will  of  God,  we  dis- 
cover the  three  characteristics  of  the  Divine  will 
which  are  named  in  our  text :  good,  acceptable, 
and  perfect.  The  apostle  says  that  this  will  is 
according  to  God's  good  pleasure.  Good,  indeed  ! 
What  better  will  could  even  God  himself  have 
revealed  ?  All  Jews  and  all  Gentiles  gathered 
together  in  one,  even  in  Christ  ?  Surely,  this  is 
superlatively  good.  That  this  will,  when  put  in 
execution,  will  be  entirely  acceptable  to  the  mil- 
lions who  shall  be  thus  gathered  together  in  one, 
even  in  Christ,  there  is  no  room  to  doubt.  There 
will  be  no  murmuring,  no  complaining,  no  envy- 
ing one  another,  nor  contention  about  different 
merits  and  unequal  attainments ;  all  will  be  one 
in  Christ.  The  perfection  of  a  will  consists  in  its 
validity.     If  it  be  drawn  according  to  law,  and 


76  A    SERMON. 

is  just  and  right  in  all  its  parts,  so  that  it  cannot 
be  broken  or  set  aside,  it  is  perfect.  Now  the 
apostle,  after  stating  what  God's  will  is,  informs 
ns  that  he  "  worketh  all  things  after  the  counsel 
of  his  own  will." 

To  Timothy  the  apostle  makes  a  declaration 
of  the  will  of  God,  in  such  a  guarded  manner  as 
to  make  it  perfectly  clear  and  easy  of  understand- 
ing. "  I  exhort,  therefore,  that  first  of  all,  sup- 
plications, prayers,  intercessions,  and  giving  of 
thanks,  be  made  for  all  men ;  for  kings,  and  for 
all  that  are  in  authority ;  that  we  may  lead  a 
quiet  and  peaceable  life  in  all  godliness  and  hon- 
esty. For  this  is  good  and  acceptable  in  the 
sight  of  God  our  Saviour  ;  who  will  have  all  men 
to  be  saved,  and  to  come  unto  a  knowledge  of  the 
truth.  For  there  is  one  God  and  one  Mediator 
between  God  and  men,  the  man  Christ  Jesus; 
who  gave  himself  a  ransom  for  all,  to  be  testified 
in  due  time."  To  evade  the  plain  sense  of  this 
passage  has  been  attempted  by  theological  law- 
yers and  critics,  often  in  vain.  There  it  stands 
in  the  Divine  word,  and  there  it  must  stand  until 
every  knee  shall  bow,  and  every  tongue   shall 


A    SERMON.  77 

confess  that  Jesus  is  Lord  to  the  glory  of  God 
the  Father. 

Let  us  conclude  with  our  text.  "I  beseech 
you,  therefore,  brethren,  by  the  mercies  of  God, 
that  ye  present  your  bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy, 
acceptable  unto  God,  which  is  your  reasonable 
service.  And  be  not  conformed  to  this  world ; 
but  be  ye  transformed  by  the  renewing  of  your 
mind,  that  ye  may  prove  what  is  that  good,  and 

acceptable,  and  perfect  will  of  God." 

7* 


A   SERMON, 

Preached  before  the  Massachusetts  Convention  of  Univer- 
salists,  at  its  session  in  Salem,  June  6,  1849. 

[REPORTED    BY    REV.    THOMAS    WHITTEMORE.  ] 


"And  in  this  mountain  shall  the  Lord  of  Hosts  make  unto 
all  people  a  feast  of  fat  things."  —  Isaiah  xxv.  6. 

I  shall  not,  my  brethren,  make  an  apology  for 
appearing  before  you.  It  occurred  to  me  that  I 
ought  to  do  so ;  but  then  the  thought  immedi- 
ately suggested  itself,  that  my  apology,  perhaps, 
would  itself  require  an  apology ;  and,  therefore,  I 
shall  leave  each  individual  of  the  congregation  to 
frame  such  an  apology  for  me  as  he  may  think 
proper.  I  shall  proceed  immediately  to  consider 
the  important  doctrine  of  the  text.     And, 

1st.  What  is  meant  by  "this  mountain?" 
This  is  the  question  for  consideration.  If  we 
look  into  the  second  chapter  of  Isaiah,  we  shall 
find  that  he  speaks  of  this  mountain  in  the  fol- 
lowing terms  :  "  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  the 


A    SERMON. 


79 


last  days,  that  the  mountain  of  the  Lord's  house 
shall  be  established  in  the  top  of  the  mountains, 
and  shall  be  exalted  above  the  hills ;  and  all 
nations  shall  flow  unto  it."  (Verse  2.)  Now 
you  will  please  to  observe  the  agreement  between 
our  text  and  the  passage  just  recited.  The  text 
says,  that  in  this  mountain  the  Lord  of  hosts  shall 
make  a  feast  for  all  people ;  and  in  the  passage 
before  us,  we  are  told  that  all  nations  shall  flow 
unto  it.  Now,  my  friendly  hearers,  I  wish  you 
to  fix  your  minds  on  the  words  all  people.  It 
would  have  been  just  as  easy,  that  is,  if  God  had 
directed  it,  for  the  prophet  to  have  said  some 
people  as  to  have  said  all  people.  He  might 
have  said,  "  In  this  mountain  shall  the  Lord  of 
hosts  make  unto  some  people  a  feast  of  fat  things." 
He  might  have  said,  "  The  mountain  of  the 
Lord's  house  shall  be  established  in  the  top  of 
the  mountains,  and  some  nations  shall  flow  unto 
it."  But  the  prophet  says,  all,  —  all  people,  all 
nations.  Does  not  this  text,  my  hearers,  furnish 
a  pretty  good  pretext  for  preaching  a  sermon  on 
the  gospel  of  Universalism  ?  In  the  next  place, 
I  shall  call  the  attention  of  my  hearers  to  the 


80  A    SERMON. 

description  of  this  mountain,  which  is  found  in 
Heb.  xii.  18-24  :  "  For  ye  are  not  come  unto  the 
mount  that  might  be  touched,  and  that  burned 
with  fire,  nor  unto  blackness,  and  darkness,  and 
tempest,  and  the  sound  of  a  trumpet,  and  the 
voice  of  words  ;  which  voice  they  that  heard, 
entreated  that  the  word  should  not  be  spoken  to 
them  any  more  :  (for  they  could  not  endure  that 
which  was  commanded,  and  if  so  much  as  a 
beast  touch  the  mountain,  it  shall  be  stoned,  or 
thrust  through  with  a  dart ;  and  so  terrible  was 
the  sight,  that  Moses  said,  I  exceedingly  fear  and 
quake  :)  but  ye  are  come  unto  Mount  Zion,  and 
unto  the  city  of  the  living  God,  the  heavenly 
Jerusalem,  and  to  an  innumerable  company  of 
angels,  to  the  general  assembly  and  church  of  the 
first-born,  which  are  written  in  heaven,  and  to 
God  the  Judge  of  all,  and  to  the  spirits  of  just 
men  made  perfect,  and  to  Jesus  the  Mediator  of 
the  new  covenant,  and  to  the  blood  of  sprinkling, 
that  speaketh  better  things  than  that  of  Abel." 
This  mountain  that  might  not  be  touched  was 
Sinai,  from  which  the  law  was  given  under  cir- 
cumstances  of  solemn   grandeur.      The   people 


A    SERMON. 


81 


were  afraid.  But  the  Christian  Hebrews  had 
not  come  to  that  mountain,  but  they  had  come 
to  Mount  Zion.  And  what  was  Mount  Zion  ? 
It  was  the  city  of  the  living  God;  it  was  the 
heavenly  Jerusalem  ;  where  the  Hebrew  Chris- 
tians mingled  with  the  general  assembly  and 
church  of  the  first-born,  whose  names  are  written 
in  heaven.  They  had  entered  into  the  society 
of  God's  faithful  servants.  The  Revelator  said  : 
"  And  he  carried  me  away  in  the  spirit  to  a  great 
and  high  mountain,  and  showed  me  that  great 
city,  the  holy  Jerusalem,  descending  out  of 
heaven  from  God."  (xxi.  10.)  Now  hear  his 
description  of  the  New  Jerusalem.  "And  I, 
John,  saw  the  holy  city,  New  Jerusalem,  coming 
down  from  God  out  of  heaven,  prepared  as  a 
bride  adorned  for  her  husband.  And  I  heard  a 
great  voice  out  of  heaven,  saying,  Behold,  the 
tabernacle  of  God  is  with  men,  and  he  will  dwell 
with  them,  and  they  shall  be  his  people,  and  God 
himself  shall  be  with  them,  and  be  their  God. 
And  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their 
eyes  ;  and  there  shall  be  no  more  death,  neither 
sorrow,  nor  crying,  neither  shall   there  be  any 


82 


A    SERMON. 


more  pain;  for  the  former  things  are  passed 
away."  (2-4.)  Now,  my  hearers,  this  moun- 
tain, in  all  the  cases  in  which  it  is  mentioned,  is 
the  same  as  mentioned  by  Daniel  the  prophet. 
He  saw  a  stone  cut  out  of  the  mountain  without 
hands,  which,  we  are  told,  became  a  great  moun- 
tain and  filled  the  whole  earth.  Now,  this  was 
explained  to  the  prophet  to  be  the  kingdom  set 
up  by  the  God  of  heaven,  which  shall  never  be 
destroyed  ;  "  and  the  kingdom  shall  not  be  left  to 
other  people,  but  it  shall  break  in  pieces  and  con- 
sume all  these  kingdoms,  and  it  shall  stand  for- 
ever." Dan.  ii.  44.  This  mountain,  then,  we 
see,  signifies  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  the  gospel 
covenant.  There  are  many  honest  divines  who 
are  misled  in  regard  to  this  New  Jerusalem ; 
they  think  it  is  something  that  appertains  not  to 
this  world ;  it  cannot  be  found  here ;  they  think 
it  is  in  the  future  state.  But,  my  hearers,  you 
should  not  forget  that  it  came  down  from  heaven 
to  earth, — yes,  came  down  from  heaven,  and  John 
saw  it  descend,  in  his  vision.  God  was  in  that 
New  Jerusalem  when  it  descended,  and  came 
down  with  it,  in  order  that  he  might  dwell  with 


A    SERMON.  S3 

men  on  the  earth.  And  hark  !  Hear  those  who 
walk  in  the  light  of  it,  singing  the  praise  of  the 
Redeemer,  and  saying,  "  For  thou  wast  slain,  and 
hast  redeemed  us  to  God  by  thy  blood,  out  of 
every  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  and 
nation ;  and  hast  made  us  unto  our  God  kings 
and  priests;  and  we  shall  reign  on  the  earth" 
Rev.  v.  9,  10.  This  mountain,  then,  this  New 
Jerusalem,  has  respect  to  something  in  this  earth  ; 
it  is  the  kingdom  which  Christ  set  up  in  this 
world. 

But  here  it  may  be  asked,  does  not  the 
speaker  believe  in  the  future  immortal  state  ? 
Yes,  my  friends,  I  do  believe,  and  I  rejoice  in 
the  belief,  in  life  and  immortality  beyond  the 
grave.  And  I  believe  that  this  life  and  immor- 
tality are  brought  to  light  by  the  gospel.  Brought 
to  light,  observe,  not  created  through  the  gospel. 
We  all  believe  this  —  it  is  one  of  the  principal 
glories  of  our  faith. 

Now,  we  will  proceed  to  another  subject.  I 
wish  to  ask  you  this  very  important  question  : 
Is  there  anything  unreasonable  in  supposing,  if 
God  were  going  to  make  a  feast  at  all,  that  he 


84  A    SERMON. 

would  make  it  for  all  people  ?  Think  of  this. 
After  all  the  preaching  you  have  heard,  after  all 
the  defences  of  orthodoxy,  is  there  anything 
unreasonable  in  supposing,  if  God  our  heavenly 
Father  were  going  to  make  a  feast,  that  he  would 
make  it  for  all  people  ?  Now,  let  us  vary  the 
question  a  little.  If  God,  our  universal  Father, 
were  going  to  make  a  feast  for  mankind,  is  it  not 
very  unreasonabh  to  suppose  that  he  would  make 
it  only  for  a  part  ?  Is  there  a  parent  —  one  who 
is  worthy  to  bear  that  precious  name  —  who,  if 
he  were  going  to  make  a  feast  for  his  children, 
would  not,  if  possible,  make  a  feast  for  all  of 
them  ?  If  he  had  twelve  children,  would  he 
make  a  feast  for  four,  and  reject  the  eight  ? 
What  would  you  think  of  him  ?  Thank  God, 
there  is  no  such  man !  But  suppose  a  man 
should  do  so,  what  would  you  think  of  him  ? 
And  then  suppose  he  should  tell  you  that  he  was 
seeking  the  good  of  his  whole  family,  —  that  he 
was  seriously  and  earnestly  seeking  the  greatest 
good  of  the  whole  family,  —  and  should  try  to 
make  it  so  appear  to  you,  —  should  use  glosses, 
and  subterfuges,  and  prevarications,  in  order  to 


A    SERMON.  85 

make  you  believe  that  he  was  really  seeking  the 
greatest  good  of  the  greatest  number,  what  would 
you  say  to  him  ? 

Now,  look  at  the  effect  of  this  conduct,  and 
these  instructions,  on  the  minds  of  the  children. 
You  go  to  the  four  who  are  selected  to  enjoy 
the  feast,  and  you  say  to  them,  "  Are  not  your 
brothers  and  sisters  coming  to  the  table  ?  "  They 
answer  you,  "No."  "Well,"  you  inquire,  "are 
you  not  glad  ?  "  They  say,  "  No,  —  we  want 
them  to  come ;  our  spirit  yearns  to  have  them 
come.  We  have  prayed  earnestly  to  our  father 
to  permit  them  to  come ;  but,  in  his  inscrutable 
wisdom,  he  judges  that  it  is  not  wise  that  it  shall 
be  so."  "  But,"  you  ask,  "  how  does  this  appear 
to  you  ?  Does  it  not  give  you  great  pain  ? " 
They  reply,  "  Yes,  with  our  present  wisdom  and 
our  present  sympathies,  it  seems  very  dark,  and 
gives  us  great  pain;  but  our  father  teaches  us 
that  we  shall  be  more  enlightened  by  and  by, 
and  that  our  feelings  will  be  changed ;  we  shall 
become  more  reconciled  to  his  will,  and  then  we 
shall  be  satisfied."  Such  is  the  pretence.  Now, 
do  you  not  see,  my  hearers,  that  this  amounts  to 
8 


86  A    SERMON. 

just  nothing ;  that  it  is  no  justification  of  the 
father's  conduct  ?  But  it  amounts  to  just  as 
much  as  all  the  arguments  that  are  used  to 
defend  partialism. 

But  now  we  will  look  at  this  matter  in  another 
point  of  view.  Suppose  the  parent  is  actually 
unable  to  provide  a  full  feast  for  all  his  children. 
This  cannot,  indeed,  be  true  of  the  Almighty. 
But  we  will  suppose  that  the  parent  were  actually 
unable  to  provide  a  feast  for  all.  What  would 
he  do  then  ?  Would  he  not,  if  he  were  wise  and 
impartial,  divide  the  little  among  the  whole  ?  and 
let  it  go  as  far  as  it  would  to  satisfy  the  wants  of 
all  ?  But  is  God  deficient  in  means,  my  hearers  ? 
O  no  ;  we  all  know  he  is  not.  Then  if  he  does 
not  provide  for  all,  it  must  be  because  he  has  not 
the  will  to  do  so.  Yes,  that  is  the  true  reason, — 
the  want  of  a  will.  Hark  !  there  comes  across 
the  mighty  deep  a  cry  from  Ireland  —  many  are 
suffering  and  dying  for  the  want  of  food.  We 
sit  down  to  our  tables  to  eat,  and  we  think  of 
the  famishing  thousands  in  Ireland.  How  were 
the  vessels  loaded  with  provisions,  to  feed  the 
hungry  !     Well,  we  will  suppose  the  vessels  have 


A   SERMON.  87 

arrived  there ;  and  now  we  will  ask,  what  shall 
be  done  with  this  food  ?  It  is  evident  there  is 
not  half  enough  to  supply  the  whole.  But  it  is 
ascertained  that  by  a  certain  modification  it  will 
supply  the  wants  of  all.  Now,  what  shall  we 
do  ?  Shall  we  make  that  modification,  and  thus 
supply  the  wants  of  all  ?  or  shall  we  refuse  to  do 
it,  and  then  invent  the  best  apology  for  not  doing 
it?  "0,"  you  say,  "feed  all,  feed  all."  Let  it 
do  all  the  good  it  can,  just  as  this  sun  does 
which  is  shining  down  upon  us  to-day.  He  does 
all  the  good  he  can.  He  shines  freely  on  all. 
He  is  not  afraid  that  he  shall  happen  to  shine  on 
some  poor  miserable  sinner.  No,  he  shines  on 
all ;  for  God  "  maketh  his  sun  to  rise  on  the  evil 
and  on  the  good ;  and  sendeth  rain  on  the  just 
and  on  the  unjust." 

As  there  is  no  lack  of  means  in  God,  —  as  it 
is  no  more  expensive  to  him  to  make  a  feast  for 
all  than  for  some,  —  that  is  enough;  it  seems  to 
settle  the  question. 

But  we  hear  much  said,  by  divines,  about  the 
provisions  which  God  has  made  ;  we  are  told 
God  has  made  the  most  liberal  provisions  for  all. 


88  A    SERMON. 

In  saying  this,  the  clergy  think  they  are  liberal, 
very  liberal.  But  then  you  will  remember,  that 
they  have  a  plan  in  reserve,  a  contrivance  in 
secret,  that  all  shall  not  partake  of  the  provisions. 
This  is  a  part  of  the  creed ;  it  ends  just  as  it 
would  if  the  feast  had  been  made  only  for  a  part. 
It  is  the  same  in  the  end,  —  it  is  partiality.  If 
I  was  seeking  to  get  your  property  away  from 
you  unjustly,  it  would  not  make  much  difference 
by  what  rule  of  arithmetic  I  did  it.  It  might  be 
done  by  one  rule,  or  another ;  but  if  the  quotient 
came  out  so  that  I  should  get  your  property,  it 
would  be  precisely  the  same  thing  in  the  end,  — 
would  it  not  ?  It  would  make  no  difference  by 
what  rule  of  arithmetic  I  came  to  it. 

Having  given  attention  to  these  important 
matters,  I  now  wish  to  call  your  attention  to  the 
fact  that  God  represents  his  truth  by  provisions, 
by  something  to  eat  and  drink.  The  metaphor 
is  constantly  occurring  in  the  Scriptures.  "  Ho, 
every  one  that  thirsteth,  come  ye  to  the  waters, 
and  he  that  hath  no  money;  come  ye,  buy  and 
eat;  yea,  come,  buy  wine  and  milk  without 
money  and    without   price."     Isaiah  lv.   1.     So 


A    SERMON.  b9 

you  heard  in  the  discourse  to  which  you  listened 
yesterday  the  divine  command,  "  Feed  my 
lambs."  The  prophet  says,  "  With  joy  shall  you 
draw  water  out  of  the  wells  of  salvation."  On 
the  great  day  of  the  Jewish  feast,  Jesus  stood 
and  cried,  "  If  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come  to 
me  and  drink."  "  The  bread  of  God  is  he  that 
came  down  from  heaven  to  give  life  to  the  world." 
Now,  my  brethren,  what  is  this  bread?  —  this 
wine  ?  —  this  water  ?  —  this  milk  ?  They  repre- 
sent the  gospel ;  the  gospel  is  represented  by 
something  nutritious,  by  something  to  eat  and 
to  drink.  Eem ember  this  ;  it  will  drive  away 
a  dark  cloud  of  error  from  your  mind.  It  will 
dispel  the  delusion,  that  there  is  to  be,  some- 
where, or  sometime,  in  eternity,  a  reward  for  us 
for  doing  our  duty  here.  It  is  a  pernicious  error. 
Let  us  reason  together.  If  it  should  happen 
there  is  no  such  reward,  what  would  you  do  with 
your  duty  ?  Some  say,  if  there  is  no  reward  in 
eternity,  they  would  not  do  their  duty.  But 
what  a  spirit  is  this  !  They  would  not  do  their 
duty,  if  it  were  not  for  the  hope  of  an  extraneous 
reward  !     Here,  let  me  inquire,  what  is  the  com- 


90  A    SERMON. 

fort  of  the  gospel  ?  What  is  the  essence  of  the 
bread,  the  water,  the  wine,  the  milk  ?  Well,  my 
hearers,  it  is  nothing  more  or  less  than  this,  — 
it  is  obedience,  —  nothing  else.  It  is  obedience 
alone.  Is  that  all  ?  Kather  a  dry  morsel,  some 
might  say.  But  dry  as  it  is,  you  can't  have  any- 
thing else.  If  you  do  not  have  true  obedience, 
there  can  be  no  reward  ;  and  if  you  have  true 
obedience,  it  will  of  itself  be  the  richest  reward 
you  can  possess.  It  is  life,  and  health,  and 
plenty,  and  peace. 

This  will  appear  the  more  evident,  if  we  con- 
sider what  our  duty  consists  in.  What  is  our 
duty  ?  O  look  at  the  first  and  great  command- 
ment of  all.  We  are  now  coming  to  the  pro- 
visions we  have  been  speaking  of.  "  Thou  shalt 
love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and 
with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind,  and 
with  all  thy  strength.  This  is  the  first  and  great 
commandment;  and  the  second  is  like  unto  it, 
Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself.  On 
these  two  commandments  hang  all  the  law  and 
the  prophets."  All  the  law  and  the  prophets. 
Mark  the  lan^ua^e.     This  is  the  whole  feast  — 


A   SERMON.  91 

the  only  provision  which  God  has  made  for  the 
life  of  the  soul.  This  is  life,  and  the  lack  of  it  is 
death. 

And  yet  some  ask,  what  are  we  to  have  for  lov- 
ing God  ?  We  will  not  love  God  without  a  reward. 
If  there  be  no  reward  in  eternity,  for  loving  God 
here  on  earth,  we  will  not  love  him ;  we  will 
revel  in  sin  ;  for  the  great  reason  why  we  ought 
to  do  good  is  to  escape  eternal  damnation.  Is 
there  no  reward  hereafter  for  loving  God  ?  Then 
we  will  not  love  him.  This  is  the  way  the 
objector  sometimes  talks.  But  now,  let  us  see 
this  hypocrite  before  God.  He  asks  his  God  to 
reward  him  for  loving  him  ;  and  he  states  that 
he  would  not  have  loved  God  if  it  had  not  been 
for  the  expectation  of  the  eternal  reward.  Now, 
my  hearers,  do  you  not  see,  after  all,  that  it  is 
not  God  that  this  hypocrite  loved  ?  Do  you  not 
see  that  it  is  the  reward  which  he  loved,  and 
which  he  sought  ?  and  that  in  reality  he  did  not 
love  God  at  all  ?  See  the  child  before  his  father. 
Does  the  child  expect  any  reward  for  loving  his 
father  ?  No.  What  if  the  child  should  inquire, 
"  Father,  what  will  you  give  me,  if  I  will  love 


92  A    SERMON. 

you?"  Would  you  not  see  that  the  child  did 
not  love  his  parent  at  all,  but  that  it  was  the 
reward  which  it  sought  after  ? 

My  hearers,  did  you  ever  see  anything  you 
really  loved,  when  you  expected  or  desired  any 
reward  for  loving  it,  except  to  possess  the  thing 
itself  ?  You  never  ask  for  anything  else  ;  and  it 
is  well  you  do  not,  for  there  is  no  other  true 
reward  that  you  can  have.  The  second  com- 
mandment is,  "  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as 
thyself."  What  reward  do  you  wish  for  this, 
except  the  obedience  ?  Look  at  a  community  in 
which  each  member  actually  loved  his  neighbor 
as  he  loved  himself.  O  happy,  heavenly  people  ! 
Now  what  reward  shall  they  have  therefor  ? 
Nothing  but  the  good  itself.  It  is  obedience  to 
the  divine  command  which  is  their  happiness ; 
it  is  obedience  which  is  their  reward. 

As  I  speak  without  writing,  and  have  not  notes 
before  me,  I  am  liable  to  extend  my  discourse  to 
too  great  a  length.  But  there  are  a  few  points 
remaining  to  be  spoken  of.  We  have  spoken  of 
the  metaphor  of  eating  and  drinking;  and,  my 
friendly  hearers,  I  desire  to  ask  you  what  reward 


A    SERMON.  93 

you  ever  expect  to  have  for  eating  and  drinking  ? 
Hear  what  David  says  in  the  19th  Psalm  :  "  The 
statutes  of  the  Lord  are  right,  rejoicing  the  heart ; 
the  commandment  of  the  Lord  is  pure,  enlighten- 
ing the  eyes.  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  clean, 
enduring  forever ;  the  judgments  of  the  Lord 
are  true  and  righteous  altogether.  More  to  be 
desired  are  they  than  gold,  yea,  than  much  fine 
gold;  sweeter  also  than  honey  and  the  honey- 
comb." (Verse  8-10.)  This  shows  you  how 
men  are  to  be  rewarded  for  obeying  God's  com- 
mands. There  is  no  extraneous  reward.  The 
commandments  of  God  are  sweeter  than  the  honey- 
comb.  What  reward  do  you  expect  for  eating 
the  honey,  dripping  from  the  comb  ?  —  What  can 
you  have  that  is  sweeter  than  the  thing  itself? 
And  observe  again,  the  Psalmist  says,  "  In  keep- 
ing, [mark  the  words]  in  keeping  of  them  is  great 
reward."  The  reward  is  in  the  deed.  The 
reward  is  the  obedience  itself. 

But  the  objector  will  now  ask,  "  Ah  !  what  if 
man  will  not  eat  ?  What  will  be  done  then  ? 
If  they  do  not  all  eat,  what  will  you  say  ?  "  I  '11 
tell  you.    If  they  do  not  all  eat,  they  won't  enjoy 


94  A    SERMON. 

the  benefits  flowing  therefrom.  But  will  not  the 
gospel  feast  attract  them  ?  I  quoted  you  a  text 
from  the  prophet  on  this  wise,  —  "  and  all  nations 
shall  flow  unto  it."  There  is  a  powerful  attrac- 
tion in  the  gospel.  The  people  are  drawn  to  it. 
A  thirsty  man  is  drawn  to  pure  waters  that  he 
may  drink;  so  shall  the  nations  flow  to  the 
gospel.  The  objector  has  not  so  much  confidence 
in  men  as  he  has  in  the  brutes.  If  you  have  a 
living  spring  in  your  pasture  lands,  you  have  no 
fear  that  your  beasts  will  die  of  thirst.  You  do 
not  appoint  some  person  to  watch  them,  and  drive 
them  to  the  waters,  lest  they  fail  to  go.  You  do 
not  think  it  needful  to  whip  them  in  order  to 
make  them  go  and  drink.  Is  it  needful,  then,  to 
drive  men  to  the  gospel  fountain  ?  No ;  for  "  all 
nations  shall  flow  unto  it." 

And  now,  let  me  ask,  where  is  this  feast?  — 
where  is  this  fountain  ?  You  need  not  go  far  to 
find  it,  my  friendly  hearers.  It  is  not  afar  off. 
You  need  not  ascend  unto  heaven,  to  bring  it 
down  from  above  ;  you  need  not  descend  into  the 
deep,  to  bring  it  up  from  beneath ;  for  the  word  is 
nigh  thee,  even  in  thy  heart  and  in  thy  mouth ; 


A    SERMON.  95 

that  is,  the  word  of  faith  which  we  preach.  Yes, 
my  hearers,  it  is  in  your  heart  already,  if  you 
will  but  obey  it.  There  is  something  in  our 
nature  which  is  drawn  by  it.  Jesus  took  the 
child,  and  set  it  in  the  midst  of  his  disciples,  and 
bade  them  be  like  it.  There  is  something  in  the 
human  soul  that  pants  after  God.  It  longs  for 
the  truth,  as  for  living  water.  And  what  did  the 
Redeemer  say,  —  "It  shall  be  within  you  a  wTell 
of  water,  springing  up  into  everlasting  life." 

But  I  will  draw  to  a  close.  I  say,  then,  that 
in  due  time,  in  God's  way,  all  will  be  brought  to 
love  him  and  to  serve  him,  and  consequently  all 
will  be  happy.  This  is  heaven  —  this  always 
will  be  heaven.  We  do  not  believe  in  any  other 
heaven  besides  this. 

Having  shown  you  what  the  mountain  is,  and 
where  is  its  location,  and  what  are  the  provisions, 
and  what  is  the  extent  of  them,  I  submit  the 
subject,  hoping  none  of  you  will  ever  expect  a 
better  heaven  than  you  will  find  in  keeping  the 
commandments  of  God. 


THE    DOCTRINE    OF 

UNIVERSAL    SALVATION 

SHOWN    TO    BE    INCLUDED     IN    THE    DIVINE    COMMANDS, 
AND    EXPRESSED    BY    THEM. 


No  opinion,  unfriendly  to  Universalism,  has 
been  more  generally  entertained,  or  exerted  a 
more  unfavorable  influence  to  the  prejudice  of 
the  spread  of  the  doctrine,  than  the  belief  that  its 
natural  tendency  is  unfavorable  to  the  interest  of 
true  piety  and  obedience  to  the  commandments 
of  God.  Among  the  causes  of  the  existence  of 
this  opinion,  we  may  here  notice  two. 

1st.  Those  who  entertained  the  opinion  were 
entirely  ignorant  of  the  nature  of  the  salvation 
embraced  in  the  doctrine.  All  the  salvation  they 
had  in  their  minds,  was  to  be  saved  from  going 
to  the  hell,  in  the  future  state,  in  which  they  had 
been  taught  to  believe.  2d.  They  appear  to  have 
been  equally  in  the  dark  respecting  the  nature  of 


DIVINE    COMMANDS.  97 

that  influence  by  which  men  are  enabled  to  obey 
the  divine  commands.  The  fear  of  hell  torments 
was  relied  on  to  lead  sinners  to  repentance,  and  to 
the  use  of  those  means  whereby  they  might 
escape  what  they  were  taught  so  much  to  dread. 
Under  these  circumstances,  the  mere  report  of  a 
doctrine  which  disallows  the  endless  torments 
for  any  of  the  human  family,  in  which  the  people 
believed,  filled  them  with  surprise,  as  it  removed 
the  very  influence  on  which  dependence  was 
placed  to  carry  on  the  work  of  salvation.  The 
opinion,  which  has  been  here  noticed,  does  not 
now  prevail  in  community  as  it  formerly  did; 
nor  is  it  now  so  much  in  use  against  Universalism 
as  it  was  a  few  years  since ;  and  it  is  here  intro- 
duced merely  for  the  introduction  of  what  shall 
follow,  and  to  show,  in  times  to  come,  what  igno- 
rance divine  truth  has  had  to  contend  with. 

If  success  should  attend  our  effort  to  show  that 
the  doctrine  of  universal  salvation  is  included 
in  the  divine  commands,  and  expressed  by  them, 
it  will  enable  the  reader  to  make  a  comparison 
between  the  opinion  above  noted,  and  the  real 
truth  and  nature  of  the  doctrine  to  wThich  that 


98  DIVINE    COMMANDS. 

opinion  was  opposed,  greatly  to  the  advantage  of 
the  doctrine. 

In  executing  this  endeavor,  we  will  begin  with 
what  Jesus  called  the  first  and  great  command- 
ment, recorded  Deut.  vi.  4,  5 :  "  Hear,  O  Israel ; 
the  Lord  our  God  is  one  Lord.  And  thou  shalt 
love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thine  heart,  and 
with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  might." 
Compare  this  with  Matt.  xxii.  27-40 :  "  Jesus 
saith  unto  him,  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy 
God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul, 
and  with  all  thy  mind.  This  is  the  first  and 
great  commandment.  And  the  second  is  like 
unto  it,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself. 
On  these  two  commandments  hang  all  the  law 
and  the  prophets."  With  this  second  command- 
ment, as  by  Jesus  expressed,  compare  Lev.  xix.  18  : 
"  Thou  shalt  not  avenge  nor  bear  any  grudge 
against  the  children  of  thy  people  ;  but  thou  shalt 
love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself;  I  am  the  Lord." 
Let  us  now  carefully  examine  this  first  and  great 
command,  to  ascertain  whether  it  includes  uni- 
versal salvation.  Two  questions  must  here  be 
answered.     1st.  Is  this  first  and  great  command 


DIVINE    COMMANDS.  99 

binding  on  all  men  ?  And,  2d.  Does  loving  God 
with  all  the  heart,  &c,  constitute  the  salvation 
of  which  the  Scriptures  speak  ?  It  is  deemed 
useless  to  argue  to  prove  that  the  command  is 
universally  binding,  as  no  one  can  doubt  it.  But 
will  all  allow  that  loving  God  with  all  the  heart 
includes  our  salvation?  If  this  be  allowed,  our 
undertaking  is  accomplished,  as  the  reader  must 
clearly  see.  If  the  divine  command  is  salvation, 
and  if  it  is  universally  binding,  then  is  universal 
salvation  included  in  the  command,  and  expressed 
by  it.  Those  who  are  in  the  habit  of  believing 
that  God  requires  us  to  love  him  as  a  condition 
on  which  he  will  release  us  from  the  awful  doom 
of  endless  woe,  may  not,  at  first  thought,  under- 
stand our  subject  as  we  could  wish.  With  such 
we  must  reason.  It  seems  to  them  that  if  they 
are  not  to  be  released  from  the  doom  which  they 
dread,  and  rewarded  with  everlasting  bliss  here- 
after, for  loving  God  and  keeping  his  commands 
in  this  world,  they  have  no  inducement  to  do 
these  things.  But  if  they  will  be  candid  with 
themselves  and  with  their  God,  they  must  see 
that  they  have  deceived   themselves.     Suppose 


100  DIVINE    COMMANDS. 

their  bargain  should  succeed,  and  they  should 
really  suppose  that  their  love  of  God  was  genuine, 
and  God  should  ask  them  why  they  loved  him, 
and  they  should  honestly  answer,  —  We  loved 
you  for  our  release  from  hell,  and  for  the  endless 
bliss  of  heaven.  Could  all  this  take  place,  and 
these  deceived  hypocrites  not  see  nor  understand 
that  it  was  not  God  that  they  loved,  but  the 
reward  for  which  they  pretended  to  do  it  ?  If 
this  query  does  not  effectually  open  their  eyes, 
we  will  propose  another.  If  loving  God  with  all 
the  heart,  and  loving  our  fellow-creatures  as  we 
love  ourselves,  do  not  constitute  that  bliss  which 
salvation  implies,  in  what  does  this  bliss  consist? 
This  question  must  be  answered,  or  the  bliss  of 
obeying  the  commandments  of  God  be  allowed  to 
constitute  salvation.  The  fact  is,  the  doctors  of 
the  church  have  committed  the  egregious  and 
pernicious  error  of  supposing  that  what  really 
constitutes  salvation  is  only  the  condition  on 
which  it  is  bestowed.  Thus,  obedience  to  all  the 
divine  requirements,  which  constitutes  what  the 
Scriptures  mean  by  righteousness,  is  not  salvation, 
but  creature  labor,  which  is  to  be  rewarded  in  the 


DIVINE    COMMANDS.  101 

future  world  by  being  admitted  into  what  is 
called  heaven,  in  room  of  being  doomed  to  hell. 
Suppose  this  were  the  case,  may  we  not  ask  the 
question,  whether  the  blessed  in  heaven  are 
released  from  obeying  the  commandments  of  God, 
or  whether  they  will  earn  as  much  by  obedience 
in  the  eternal  world  as  they  did  in  this  ?  In  this 
world  they  would  have  had  no  inducement  to 
obedience  had  there  been  no  hell  hereafter  to 
shun,  and  no  heaven  to  obtain  thereby.  What 
inducement  can  they  have  in  heaven  to  continue 
in  obedience  ? 

Hoping  that  the  foregoing  reasoning  is  sufficient 
to  show  that  obedience  to  the  divine  commands 
constitutes  what  the  Scriptures  mean  by  salvation, 
let  us  proceed  to  notice  the  language  of  Scripture 
in  agreement  with  the  subject.  "  Thou  shalt  call 
his  name  Jesus,  for  he  shall  save  his  people  from 
their  sins."  "  I  am  not  come  to  call  the  righteous 
but  sinners  to  repentance."  Repentance  has  been 
erroneously  held  as  a  condition  of  salvation,  while, 
in  fact,  it  is  salvation  itself;  for  by  repentance 
we  are  saved  from  sin,  which  is  all  the  salvation 
we  need.  "But  I  say  unto  you,  love  your 
9* 


102  DIVINE    COMMANDS. 

enemies,  do  good  to  them  that  hate  you,  and 
pray  for  them  that  despitefully  use  you  and  per- 
secute you."  "  Whatsoever  ye  would  that  men 
should  do  unto  you,  do  ye  even  so  unto  them ; 
for  this  is  the  law  and  the  prophets."  Obedience 
to  these  divine  precepts  is  the  righteousness  which 
God  requires  of  all  mankind,  and  constitutes  that 
salvation  of  which  the  apostle  thus  speaks  :  — 
"  This  is  good  and  acceptable  in  the  sight  of  God 
our  Saviour ;  who  will  have  all  men  to  be  saved, 
and  to  come  unto  the  knowledge  of  the  truth.  For 
there  is  one  God,  and  one  mediator  between  God 
and  men,  the  man  Christ  Jesus  ;  who  gave  him- 
self a  ransom  for  all,  to  be  testified  in  due  time." 
"  Who  gave  himself  for  us,  that  he  might  redeem 
us  from  all  iniquity ;  and  purify  unto  himself  a 
peculiar  people,  zealous  of  good  works."  "  Hus- 
bands, love  your  wives,  even  as  Christ  also  loved 
the  church,  and  gave  himself  for  it ;  that  he  might 
sanctify  and  cleanse  it  with  the  washing  of  water 
by  the  word  ;  that  he  might  present  it  to  himself 
a  glorious  church,  not  having  spot,  or  wrinkle,  or 
any  such  thing ;  but  that  it  should  be  holy,  and 
without  blemish."     Such  declarations  show  most 


DIVINE    COMMANDS.  103 

plainly  the  nature  of  salvation,  and  that  it  con- 
sists in  obedience  to  the  divine  commands. 

The  commandments  of  our  heavenly  Father 
are  represented  by  that  which  is  good  for  food, 
and  desirable  to  the  taste.  See  in  the  nineteenth 
Psalm  :  "  The  law  of  the  Lord  is  perfect,  con- 
verting the  soul;  the  testimony  of  the  Lord  is 
sure,  making  wise  the  simple.  The  statutes  of 
the  Lord  are  right,  rejoicing  the  heart ;  the  com- 
mandment of  the  Lord  is  pure,  enlightening  the 
eyes.  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  clean,  enduring 
forever  ;  the  judgments  of  the  Lord  are  true  and 
righteous  altogether.  More  to  be  desired  are 
they  than  gold,  yea,  than  much  fine  gold ;  sweeter 
also  than  honey  and  the  honeycomb.  Moreover, 
by  them  is  thy  servant  warned,  and  in  keeping 
of  them  is  great  reward."  If  the  law  of  the  Lord, 
and  its  commandments,  statutes,  and  judgments, 
do  all  for  us  which  is  set  forth  in  the  above  pas- 
sage, most  surely  it  requires  and  accomplishes  all 
the  salvation  which  mankind  need.  All  the 
duties  required  by  this  law  of  our  heavenly 
Father  are  here  represented  to  be  sweeter  than 
honey,  or  the  honeycomb.     Hear  the  language 


104  DIVINE    COMMANDS. 

of  the  prophet :  "  Ho,  every  one  that  thirsteth, 
come  ye  to  the  waters,  and  he  that  hath  no 
money ;  come  ye,  buy  and  eat ;  yea,  come,  buy 
wine  and  milk,  without  money  and  without  price. 
Wherefore  do  ye  spend  money  for  that  which  is 
not  bread,  and  your  labor  for  that  which  satisfieth 
not?  Hearken  diligently  unto  me,  and  eat  ye 
that  which  is  good,  and  let  your  soul  delight 
itself  in  fatness."  Hear  also  the  words  of  the 
divine  Master  :  "  In  the  last  day,  that  great  day 
of  the  feast,  Jesus  stood  and  cried :  If  any 
man  thirst,  let  him  come  unto  me  and  drink." 
"  Blessed  are  they  who  do  hunger  and  thirst 
after  righteousness,  for  they  shall  be  filled." 

As  it  has  been  made  sufficiently  clear,  that 
obedience  to  the  divine  commands  constitutes 
what  the  Scriptures  mean  by  salvation,  and  that 
the  joys  of  salvation  are  in  the  keeping  of  the 
divine  commands,  there  is  a  manifest  absurdity 
in  supposing  that  any  extraneous  reward  is  to  be 
expected  for  obedience.  The  absurdity  is  the 
same  as  would  appear  if  a  thirsty  person  should 
demand  a  compensation  for  drinking  what  is 
desirable  to  his  taste,  and  which  quenches  his 


DIVINE    COMMANDS.  105 

thirst;  or  as  if.  an  hungry  man  should  refuse  to 
eat  food  which  he  needs  for  nourishment,  and 
which  is  perfectly  suited  to  his  appetite,  unless 
he  is  sure  of  some  compensation  for  the  duty  of 
eating ! 

Will  it  be  said,  that  all  which  has  been  argued 
maybe  allowed,  without  establishing  the  doctrine 
of  universal  salvation,  because  it  is  not  certain 
that  all  men  will  ever  be  brought  to  obey  the 
divine  commands  ?  To  this  we  reply  :  —  "  The 
law  of  the  Lord  is  perfect,  converting  the  soul ; 
the  testimony  of  the  Lord  is  sure,  making  wise 
the  simple.  The  statutes  of  the  Lord  are  right, 
rejoicing  the  heart ;  the  commandment  of  the 
Lord  is  pure,  enlightening  the  eyes,"  &c.  Can 
all  this  be  done,  and  the  subject  of  this  law  not 
saved  from  sin  ?  It  does  not  appear  to  be  pos- 
sible. If  this  law  is  equally  binding  on  all  men, 
we  have  good  reason  to  believe  that  what  it 
works  for  any  it  will  in  God's  due  time  effect 
for  all. 

There  is  one  momentous  truth  clearly  estab- 
lished by  the  first  and  great  command,  on  which 
we   rely   for    the   accomplishment   of   universal 


106  DIVINE    COMMANDS. 

obedience.  It  is  granted  that#  our  heavenly- 
Father  does,  in  righteousness,  command  all  men 
to  love  him  with  all  the  heart,  which  we  have 
shown  to  comprehend  universal  salvation.  Let 
us  then  ask  the  plain,  simple  question  :  —  Does 
our  heavenly  Father  love  his  offspring  as  entirely, 
as  perfectly,  as  he  requires  them  to  love  him  ?  — 
If  he  does,  if  he  ever  brings  any  to  love  him,  he 
will  bring  all  thus  to  love  him.  That  God  loves 
all  whom  he  commands  to  love  him,  and  loves 
them  as  perfectly  as  he  requires  them  to  love 
him,  is  even  self-evident.  If  God  did  not  love 
his  offspring,  it  would  be  as  unreasonable  as  it 
would  be  arbitrary  for  him  to  command  them  to 
love  him.  An  apostle  says,  "We  love  him, 
because  he  first  loved  us."  Again,  —  "  He  that 
loveth  not,  knoweth  not  God,  for  God  is  love." 

It  is  that  love  of  God  to  mankind,  which  was 
commended  unto  us,  in  that  while  we  were  yet 
sinners,  Christ  died  for  us,  on  which  we  depend 
for  the  accomplishment  of  the  reconciliation  of  all 
things  unto  himself. 

Without  special  regard  to  the  question  about 
man's  free  will,  and  God's  decrees,  we  may  take 


DIVINE    COMMANDS.  107 

it  for  granted,  that  what  the  Scriptures  plainly 
assert  maybe  safely  believed.  We  therefore  feel 
confident  that  the  divine  agency  extends  to  the 
overruling  of  the  hearts  of  men,  as  we  are 
informed  by  the  prophet  Jeremiah.  See  chapter 
xxxi.  33,  34:  "But  this  shall  be  the  covenant 
that  I  will  make  with  the  house  of  Israel ;  after 
those  days,  saith  the  Lord,  I  will  put  my  law  in 
their  inward  parts,  and  write  it  in  their  hearts  ; 
and  I  will  be  their  God,  and  they  shall  be  my 
people.  And  they  shall  teach  no  more  every 
man  his  neighbor,  and  every  man  his  brother, 
saying,  Know  the  Lord ;  for  all  shall  know  me, 
from  the  least  of  them  unto  the  greatest  of  them, 
saith  the  Lord  ;  for  I  will  forgive  their  iniquity, 
and  will  remember  their  sin  no  more." 

The  assurance  which  the  foregoing  considera- 
tions are  calculated  to  afford  gives  no  small  con- 
solation and  comfort,  while  encountering  the 
sorrows  and  afflictions  which  are  occasioned  by 
sin  and  unbelief.  Hope  looks  for  the  fulfilment 
of  the  divine  requirements  in  all  on  whom  they 
are  binding.  Then  will  the  whole  family  of  man 
be  fdled  with  love  to  God  and  each  other ;  and 


108  DIVINE    COMMANDS. 

all  hatred,  and  strife,  forever  done  away.  Every 
wanderer  from  the  fold  of  the  Great  Shepherd 
shall  return ;  and  when  the  last  shall  be  brought 
in,  there  will  be  joy  in  heaven,  unspeakable  and 
full  of  glory. 


REMARKS   OFFERED 

AT  A  RELIGIOUS  CONFERENCE,  WHERE   MANY   MINISTERS 
WERE    PRESENT 


It  has  been  often  asserted,  and  no  doubt  by- 
many  believed,  that  faith  in  Universalism  would 
do  to  live  by,  but  not  to  die  by.  Without 
attempting  to  analyze  this  trite  objection  to  the 
blessed  faith  we  profess  to  believe,  we  shall  offer 
some  suggestions  in  favor  of  the  opinion,  that  a 
belief  or  a  view  of  a  desired  fact,  by  inspiring 
the  heart  with  unwonted  joy,  enables  one  not 
only  to  meet  death  without  fear,  but  even  to  bid 
it  welcome. 

These  suggestions  will  be   founded  on  facts 

which  are  substantiated  by  undisputed  authority. 

The  first  event  to  which  your  attention  is  invited 

is  the  meeting  of  the  patriarch  Jacob  with  his 

10 


110  CONFERENCE    SPEECH. 

dearly  beloved  but  long  lost  Joseph.  About 
twenty-three  years  had  passed,  after  the  bloody 
coat  of  his  son  caused  him  to  believe  that  Joseph 
had  been  torn  in  pieces  by  some  wild  beast,  and 
by  that  beast  devoured,  when  his  other  sons 
brought  him  the  unexpected  intelligence  that  he 
was  not  only  alive,  but  was  lord  of  all  Egypt ! 
Such  wras  the  improbability  of  this  report,  in 
Jacob's  mind,  his  heart  fainted,  for  he  believed 
them  not.  But  when  he  raised  his  eyes,  and 
looked  out,  and  saw  the  wagons  which  Joseph 
had  sent  to  carry  him  to  Egypt,  he  believed,  and 
his  spirit  revived.  And  he  said,  It  is  enough  ; 
Joseph,  my  son,  is  yet  alive ;  I  will  go  and  see 
him  before  I  die."  Now  contemplate  the  aged 
patriarch,  with  his  sons  and  their  families,  on 
their  journey  to  Goshen  in  Egypt,  where  Joseph, 
in.  his  chariot,  meets  them,  and  presents  him- 
self to  his  father.  The  scene  is  tender  ami 
affecting  beyond  description.  Thus  reads  the 
account :  "  And  Joseph  made  ready  his  chariot ; 
and  went  up  to  meet  Israel  his  father  to  Goshen  ; 
and  presented  himself  unto  him ;  and  he  fell  on 
his  neck,  and  wept  on  his  neck  a  good  while. 


CONFERENCE    SPEECH.  Ill 

And  Israel  said  unto  Joseph,  now  let  me  die, 
since  I  have  seen  thy  face,  because  thou  art  yet 
alive."  Here  we  are  taught  that  the  realization 
of  a  truth  strongly  desired  produces  an  ecstasy 
of  joy  which  enables  one  to  bid  to  death  a  hearty 
welcome. 

Another  very  interesting  circumstance  is  that 
recorded  in  Luke,  concerning  aged  Simeon, 
which  reads  thus  :  "  And,  behold,  there  was  a 
man  in  Jerusalem,  whose  name  was  Simeon,  and 
the  same  man  wTas  just  and  devout,  waiting  for 
the  consolation  of  Israel :  and  the  Holy  Ghost 
was  upon  him.  And  it  was  revealed  unto  him 
by  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  he  should  not  see  death 
before  he  had  seen  the  Lord's  Christ.  And  he 
came  by  the  spirit  into  the  temple;  and  when 
the  parents  brought  in  the  child  Jesus,  to  do  for 
him  after  the  custom  of  the  law,  then  took  he 
him  up  in  his  arms,  and  blessed  God,  and  said, 
Lord,  now  lettest  thou  thy  servant  depart  in 
peace,  according  to  thy  word  ;  for  mine  eyes  have 
seen  thy  salvation,  which  thou  hast  prepared 
before  the  face  of  all  people ;  a  light  to  lighten 
the  Gentiles,  and  the  glory  of  thy  people  Israel." 


112  CONFERENCE    SPEECH. 

Here  was  faith  in  salvation  embracing  all  people, 
both  Jews  and  Gentiles.  The  blessed  babe  was 
in  his  arms,  and  he  could  pray  to  depart.  Was 
it  a  limited  salvation  which  triumphed  over  death 
in  this  instance  ?  It  was  that  faith,  my  friends, 
which  our  opposers  say  will  do  to  live  by,  but 
not  to  die  by. 

The  dying  scene  of  the  renowned  general  who 
fell  at  the  conquest  of  Quebec,  in  1759,  is  illus- 
trative of  our  subject.  When  Wolfe,  the  brave 
commander,  was  mortally  wounded,  and  carried 
from  the  field,  at  the  decisive  moment  which 
assured  victory  to  his  troops,  roused  from  faint- 
ing, in  the  last  agonies,  by  the  sound  of  "  They 
fly !  they  fly !  "  he  eagerly  asked,  "  Who  flies  ?  " 
And  being  told,  the  French,  and  that  they  were 
defeated,  he  said,  "Then,  I  thank  God,  I  die 
contented  ! "  and  expired.  Thus,  the  joy  inspired 
by  that  glory  only  which  encircles  the  plume  of 
victory  in  war  tranquillizes  the  dying  hero.  In 
view  of  those  instances  which  have  been  noticed, 
who  can  doubt  that  a  belief  in  that  immortality 
and  eternal  life  brought  to  light  through  the 
gospel,  and  expressed  by  the  inspired   apostle, 


CONFERENCE    SPEECH. 


113 


who  assures  us,  that  as  in  Adam  all  die,  even  so 
in  Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive,"  can,  even  in 
death,  awaken  a  joy  far  transcending  such  as 
arises  from  finite  considerations  ? 

For  myself,  after  nearly  sixty  years  of  contest 
with  the  enemies  of  the  doctrine  we  profess,  I  can 
truly  say,  that  all  trials  and  burdens  have  been 
rendered  comparatively  light,  by  the  constant 
cheering  tidings,  they  fly  !  they  fly  !  In  myself, 
feeble  and  weak  as  a  child,  I  saw  in  truth  itself 
the  strong  arm  of  conquest  and  certain  victory. 
And  now,  old  and  weak  in  body,  I  lean  on  that 
paternal  arm  which  has  been  my  defence  and 
support.  And  when  I  see  around  me,  as  it 
were,  a  host  of  fellow-soldiers,  in  the  vigor 
of  manhood  and  youth,  all  devoted  to  the 
defence  of  the  gospel,  and  hear  the  good  tidings 
from  various  parts  of  the  onward  march  of 
truth,  I  can  hardly  believe,  that  the  heart  and 
spirit  of  old  Jacob  was  more  revived  by  the  sight 
of  the  wagons  which  were  to  carry  him  to  his 
beloved  Joseph,  than  mine  are  by  surveying  what 
is  spread  out  before  me. 

Should  it  please  God  to  grant  me  my  reason 
10* 


114  CONFERENCE    SPEECH. 

at  that  day  and  hour  when  I  shall  be  called 
away  from  earthly  scenes,  and  from  duties  here, 
may  I  hear  from  you,  my  brethren,  —  may  I  say 
my  children,  —  the  cheering  cry,  "  They  fly  ! 
they  fly!" 


THE   UTILITY   OF   EVIL 


Reader,  do  not  be  offended  at  the  title  of  this 
short  article,  and  call  it  impious.  Will  you  say 
you  never  before  heard  that  evil  is  useful  ?  — 
Will  you  say  the  suggestion  is  wicked,  and  could 
be  made  by  no  other  than  one  who  is  wicked  ? 
Well,  suppose  all  which  you  imagine  be  true, 
may  it  not  be  well  to  be  calm,  and  deliberately 
consider,  that  though  you  have  never  before  heard 
of  this  thing,  it  may,  notwithstanding,  be  a  divine 
truth  ?  If  you  will  be  candid,  and  bring  your 
mind  into  a  suitable  condition  to  be  reasoned 
with,  we  will  call  you  to  the  consideration  of 
questions  which,  if  properly  answered,  will  lead 
us  into  the  true  light  of  our  subject.  1st.  Is  evil 
self-existent  ?  If  no  one  will  allow  this,  there  is 
no  need  of  argument  to  disprove  it.  It  follows, 
of  course,  that  evil  had  a  cause  which  produced 
it;  this  is  self-evident.    2d.  Is  it  not  equally  self- 


116  THE    UTILITY    OF    EVIL. 

evident  that  the  cause  which  produced  evil,  is 
good  ?  If  we  say  that  the  cause  which  produced 
evil  was  evil,  we  thereby  say  that  evil  existed 
before  it  existed  !  When  these  several  points 
are  understood,  we  are  prepared  to  state  the  fol- 
lowing axioms  : 

1st.  That  which  had  no  beginning,  had  no 
cause  to  produce  it.  2d.  If  we  should  say  that 
good  had  an  origin  or  a  cause,  we  should  be 
compelled  to  say  that  that  cause  was  evil ! 
3d.  If  we  allow  that  evil  had  an  origin  or  cause, 
we  must  allow  that  the  origin  of  evil  is  good. 

Will  the  reader  now  exclaim,  and  say,  —  This 
makes  God  the  author  of  all. the  evil  and  sin 
which  exist  ?  Well,  suppose  it  does,  does  that 
prove  the  axioms  false  ?  These  are  self-evident 
facts.  That  God  is  not  the  author  of  evil  is 
not  a  self-evident  fact.  Two  self-evident  facts 
opposed  to  each  other  cannot  exist. 

That  the  position  we  here  take  is  supported 
by  divine  authority,  we  show  by  the  following 
passage  :  —  Isa.  xlv.  7,  "  I  form  the  light,  and 
create  darkness  ;  I  make  peace,  and  create  evil. 
I  the  Lord  do  all  these  things." 


THE    UTILITY    OF    EVIL.  117 

Having  arrived  safely  at  the  conclusion  that 
God  is  the  author  or  creator  of  evil,  and  having 
so  done  on  scriptural  as  well  as  on  logical  au- 
thority, we  feel  safe  in  drawing  the  following 
inferences  :  —  1st.  Divine  wisdom  comprehends 
the  fact,  that  evil  is  useful  to  a  definite  end  or 
purpose.  2d.  That  it  cannot  fail  of  answering 
the  end  for  which  it  was  designed. 

Let  us  now  proceed  to  consider  the  utility  of 
evil.  And  we  will  do  this  by  the  light  and 
guidance  of  divine  truth.  See  Rom.  iii.  5 — 8 : 
"  But  if  our  unrighteousness  commend  the  right- 
eousness of  God,  what  shall  we  say  ?  Is  God 
unrighteous  who  taketh  vengeance  ?  (I  speak  as 
a  man.)  God  forbid  ;  for  then  how  shall  God 
judge  the  world  ?  For  if  the  truth  of  God  hath 
more  abounded  through  my  lie  unto  his  glory, 
why  yet  am  I  judged  as  a  sinner  ?  And  not 
rather,  (as  we  be  slanderously  reported,  and  as 
some  affirm  that  we  say,)  Let  us  do  evil  that  good 
may  come?  whose  damnation  is  just."  By  what 
is  here  quoted,  we  clearly  see  that  it  was  a  doc- 
trine which  Paul  preached,  that  the  unrighteous- 
ness of  men  commends  the  righteousness  of  God, 


118  THE    UTILITY    OF    EVIL. 

and  that  the  truth  of  God  abounds  to  his  glory, 
through  the  falsehood  of  men.  It  is  also  evident 
that  the  enemies  of  the  apostles  understood 
enough  of  the  doctrine  of  divine  grace,  to  induce 
them  to  report  the  scandal,  that  they  said,  Let  us 
do  evil  that  good  may  come.  By  observing  the 
last  of  Rom.  v.,  and  the  first  of  vi.,  we  see  the 
same  subject  alluded  to.  "Moreover,  the  law 
entered  that  the  offence  might  abound ;  but  where 
sin  abounded,  grace  did  much  more  abound; 
that  as  sin  hath  reigned  unto  death,  even  so 
might  grace  reign  through  righteousness  unto 
eternal  life,  by  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.  What 
shall  we  say,  then  ?  Shall  we  continue  in  sin, 
that  grace  may  abound  ?  God  forbid.  How  shall 
we  that  are  dead  to  sin  live  any  longer  therein  ?  " 
Thus  we  see,  that  the  slander  which  is  so  gen- 
erally reported  in  our  times,  unfavorable  to  those 
who  preach  that  where  sin  abounded  grace  much 
more  abounds,  was  rife  in  the  days  of  the 
apostles. 

If  unrighteousness  or  evil  commend  the  right- 
eousness of  God,  we  see  therein  its  utility.  See 
Rom.  v.  8 :    "  But  God   commendeth   his   love 


THE    UTILITY    OF    EVIL.  119 

toward  us,  in  that,  while  we  were  yet  sinners, 
Christ  died  for  us."  Can  any  one  avoid  seeing 
that  this  commendation  of  the  love  of  God  could 
never  have  been,  if  there  had  been  no  sinners  ? 
Such  a  commendation  of  the  divine  love  as  is 
here  set  forth,  could  never  have  been  witnessed 
by  the  angels  of  God  in  heaven,  nor  could  it  ever 
have  melted  hard  and  sinful  hearts  into  contrition 
and  love,  had  sin  never  been.  This  subject  may 
be  well  illustrated  by  an  attention  to  what  is 
embraced  in  the  words  of  Jesus,  where  he  says, 
"  They  that  be  whole  need  not  a  physician." 
Now,  it  is  the  sickness  of  the  patient  which 
commends  the  skill  of  the  physician,  and  the 
virtue  of  the  medicine  which  restores  to  health. 
All  the  medicines  found  in  the  mineral  and  vege- 
table kingdom  would  have  been  useless,  and 
would  have  forever  remained  so,  if  there  had 
been  no  disorders  to  be  cured.  And  in  this  place 
it  may  be  well  to  notice  the  impropriety  of  the 
slanderous  report  which  has  been  mentioned 
above.  The  enemies  of  the  truth  say  our  doc- 
trine leads  into  sin  ;  and  that,  according  to  its 
teachings,  we  may  do  evil  that  good  may  come. 


120  THE    UTILITY   OF    EVIL. 

Why  then,  we  ask,  is  it  not  reasonable  to  sup- 
pose, that  the  patient  restored  to  health,  should, 
on  that  account,  endeavor  to  become  sick 
again,  that  the  skilful  physician,  with  his  effica- 
cious medicine,  may  again  cure  him  ?  More- 
over, if  our  opposers  contend,  that,  if  we  allow 
that  God  has  a  purpose  to  effect  by  moral  evil, 
we  may,  on  that  account,  endeavor  to  commit  all 
the  sin  we  can ;  we  ask,  in  return,  why  ministers, 
who  urge  this  argument,  do  not,  when  they  visit 
the  sick  chambers  of  their  parishioners,  say  to 
the  sick,  that  as  it  is  true  that  God  sends  sick- 
ness for  wise  and  good  purposes,  they  may,  con- 
sistently, endeavor,  not  only  to  remain  sick,  but 
to  increase  their  sickness  by  all  possible  means  ? 
Who  that  has  read  of  the  conduct  of  Joseph, 
the  son  of  Jacob,  towards  his  brethren  who  sold 
him,  and  made  himself  well  acquainted  with  his 
virtues,  can  fail  to  admire  the  man  and  his 
lovely  character  ?  But  who  will  tell  us  how  that 
admirable  character,  and  those  shining  virtues, 
could  ever  have  been  known,  or  adorned  the  page 
of  sacred  history,  if  Joseph's  brethren  had  never 
wronged  him  ?     Who  can    read   the  words   of 


THE    UTILITY    OF    EVIL.  121 

Joseph  to  his  brethren  without  tears  ?  "  And 
Joseph  said  unto  his  brethren,  Come  near  to  me, 
I  pray  you  :  and  they  came  near.  And  he  said, 
I  am  Joseph,  your  brother,  whom  you  sold  into 
Egypt.  Now,  therefore,  be  not  grieved,  nor 
angry  with  yourselves  that  ye  sold  me  hither; 
for  God  did  send  me  before  you  to  preserve  life. 
....  But  as  for  you,  ye  thought  evil  against 
me ;  but  God  meant  it  unto  good,  to  bring  to 
pass,  as  it  is  this  day,  to  save  much  people  alive." 
Do  we  not  see  here  the  utility  of  evil ;  and  the 
good  end  and  purpose  which  God  designed  it 
for? 

Another  instance  wherein  our  subject  is  most 
clearly  seen,  is  the  adorable  character  and  won- 
derful grace  exhibited  in  the  sufferings  and  death 
of  the  Son  of  God.  When  we  approach  this 
subject,  we  feel  our  inability  to  do  it  justice,  and 
realize  the  poverty  of  language  to  express  its 
divine  excellency.  To  multiply  words,  or  to 
attempt  to  be  eloquent  on  this  subject,  would 
surely  offend  against  good  taste.  All  who  admire 
the  Saviour,  or  realize  the  power  of  his  love, 
must  see  and  acknowledge,  that  if  Jesus  had  had 
11 


122  THE    UTILITY    OF    EVIL. 

no  enemies,  that  love  could  not  have  been  exhib- 
ited as  it  was  in  the  prayer,  —  "  Father,  forgive 
them,  for  they  know  not  what   they  do."     As 
well  might  we  expect  to  behold  the  rainbow  with 
all  its  beautiful  colors,  without  a  cloud  or  any 
rain,  as  to  behold  the  excellency  of  divine  grace 
if  no  sin  had  existed.     Who  can  so  well  appre- 
ciate the  blessing  of  a  physician,  as  the  patient 
whose  pains  and  sickness  have  been  removed? 
Who  can  so  prize  the  grace  of  the  Redeemer,  as 
those  who  say,  —  "  Unto  him  who  hath  loved  us, 
and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood  ? " 
It  is  not  to  be  expected  that  what  we  have  here 
presented  to  the  reader  will  be  approved  by  all 
into  whose  hands  it  may  fall.     We  are  sensible 
that  our  views  differ  widely  from  the  theology 
of  the  church,  and  the  doctrines  of  the  schools. 
Many,  no  doubt,  will  be  surprised  at  the  title 
which  heads  this  short  essay,  and  may  regret  to 
see  anything  so  entirely  new,  and,  to  the  public 
ear,  uncouth.     But  let  the  reader  consider,  that 
it  has  been  the  business  of  the  writer,  during  the 
many  years  of  his  ministry,  to  be  constantly  put- 
ting forth  sentiments  and  opinions  which  were 


THE    UTILITY    OF    EVIL. 


123 


offensive  to  the  established  doctrines  of  the 
church ;  but  he  has  always  been  guided  by  an 
honest  conviction,  and  a  sense  of  duty.  The 
sentiments  set  forth  under  the  title  of  this  article, 
have  been  long  believed,  and  in  many  ways,  and 
in  many  instances,  exhibited  to  the  public;  but 
never  before  under  such  a  title,  and  with  a  design 
to  have  them  remain  in  such  a  form,  as  to  invite 
special  attention  and  investigation. 

It  may  further  serve  our  purpose  here  to  suggest 
some  queries  for  the  consideration  of  our  doctors. 
They  all  agree  in  the  opinion  that  God  spake 
unto  the  fathers  by  the  prophets ;  and  that  the 
prophets  spake  of  a  vast  variety  of  events  which 
were  to  take  place  in  different  ages,  and  in  differ- 
ent countries.  They  believe  that  the  rise  and 
fall  of  kingdoms  were  foretold,  and  the  desola- 
tions of  wars  pointed  out  with  great  exactness. 
Now,  we  ask  these  doctors,  how  all  this  could  be 
unless  the  whole  was  planned  by  that  wisdom 
wThich  foresaw  it  ?  Was  it  possible  that  any 
agency  with  which  the  Creator  had  endowed 
mankind,  should  work  out  results  different  from 
those   spoken  of  by   the   prophets?     Take,  for 


124  THE    UTILITY    OF   EVIL. 

example,  tne  prophecies  concerning  events  from 
the  founding  of  the  ancient  Persian  empire  by- 
Cyrus,  to  the  fall  of  the  Roman,  which  compre- 
hend events  spoken  of  by  Daniel.  Now  look  at 
all  the  moral  and  physical  evils  which  were 
embraced  in,  or  exhibited  by,  the  infinite  multi- 
tude and  variety  of  events,  which  took  place 
through  those  ages,  and  say  whether  all  those 
prophecies  could  have  been  fulfilled,  and  all  this 
moral  and  physical  evil  have  been  avoided  ?  As 
our  doctors  allow  that  God  was  the  author  of 
those  prophecies,  also  of  their  fulfilment,  also  of 
all  the  benefits  which  have  resulted  from  their 
fulfilment,  will  they  endeavor  to  keep  themselves 
in  countenance  while  they  say  he  was  not  the 
author  of  the  evils  ?  We  have  noticed  the  above 
section  of  time  and  prophecy  only  as  an  example 
of  all  times  and  prophecies.  We  further  ask  our 
doctors  to  consider  the  question,  whether  all  those 
events  above  alluded  to  could  have  taken  place, 
and  all  the  evils  have  been  avoided  ?  Or  could 
all  those  evils  have  occurred,  and  the  prophecies 
not  fulfilled?  What  we  desire  the  reader  to 
understand  is,  that  what  we  call  good  and  what 


THE    UTILITY    OF    EVIL.  125 

we  call  evil  are  so  connected,  and  so  essentially 
related,  that  the  one  cannot  exist  without  the 
other,  in  the  state  of  being  in  which  mortal  man 
exists. 

Whoever  takes  an  enlarged,  enlightened  view 
of  the  divine  economy  and  government,  must,  we 
think,  be  convinced,  that  no  wisdom,  short  of  the 
wisdom  of  God,  can  claim  the  authorship,  strictly 
speaking,  of  any  event  whatever.  Let  us,  for  a 
moment,  look  at  simple  facts,  which  lie  within  the 
compass  of  the  most  common  capacity.  There 
is  no  plan,  scheme,  or  enterprise,  which  men  con- 
trive, but  such  as  they  are  prompted  to  by  cir- 
cumstances with  which  they  find  themselves 
encompassed.  Then  it  is  plain  enough  that  they 
are  not,  in  a  strict  sense,  the  authors  of  these 
plans,  or  enterprises.  They  have  their  origin 
further  back.  If,  even  in  imagination,  we  en- 
deavor to  trace  back  through  events  which  must 
be  numbered  amongst  the  causes  of  these  recent 
contrivances,  we  can  never  stop  short  of  God 
himself.  And  the  like  is  the  case  with  regard  to 
the  inevitable  consequences  of  those  plans  which 
are  devised  by  men.  Those  who  contrive  them 
11* 


126  THE    UTILITY    OF    EVIL. 

can  no  more  comprehend  all  which  will  in  future 
result  from  what  they  contrive,  than  they  can 
trace  back  through  all  events  which  are  past,  and 
which  have  caused  them  to  devise  what  they 
have.  It  is  often  said  by  very  pious  and  sincere 
persons,  that  we  have  reason  to  hope  that  God 
will  finally  so  overrule  all  things  as  to  have  them 
terminate  for  the  best.  But  if  we  do  not  under- 
stand that  he,  at  all  times,  has  the  control  of  all 
events,  what  reason  have  we  to  believe  that  he 
ever  will  ? 

Hoping  that  none  may  be  offended  at  what  we 
here  present  to  the  reader,  and  affectionately 
requesting  a  candid  examination  of  the  whole 
subject,  we  close  in  the  very  appropriate  words 
of  St.  Paul :  —  "  0  the  depths  of  the  riches  both 
of  the  wisdom  and  knowledge  of  God !  How 
unsearchable  are  his  judgments,  and  his  ways 
past  finding  out?  For  who  hath  known  the 
mind  of  the  Lord  ?  or  who  hath  been  his  coun- 
sellor ?  or  who  hath  first  given  to  him,  and  it 
shall  be  recompensed  unto  him  again  ?  For  of 
him,  and  through  him,  and  to  him  are  all  things ; 
to  whom  be  glory  forever.     Amen." 


NOTE  TO  THE  READER, 


The  following  metrical  compositions  were, 
mostly,  hastily  written,  without  study,  for  the 
Universalist  Magazine,  while  the  writer  was 
editor  of  that  paper,  and  designed  to  give  it 
variety,  and  mostly  appropriate  to  subjects  con- 
tained in  it.  Those  pieces  not  taken  from  that 
paper,  were  composed  on  various  subjects,  at 
distant  periods  of  time ;  some  appearing  in  the 
Trumpet  and  Universalist  Magazine,  and  some  in 
other  papers.  The  author  makes  no  pretensions 
of  being  a  poet,  having  never  studied  the  art  for 
a  single  hour ;  and  it  was  with  great  reluctance 
that  he  consented  that  this  volume  should  be 
presented  to  the  public.  To  the  publisher's 
solicitations  he  has  yielded,  not  without  a  hope, 
that,  by  so  doing,  he  may  gratify  some  of  his 
numerous  friends,  who  have  so  liberally  patron- 
ized his  prose  writings. 

The  Author. 


METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS 


RELIGION, 

A    HEAVEN     BELOW. 

To  wanderers  in  the  dismal  road 
Which  leads  to  sin's  most  fatal  woe, 

Religion  points  the  way  to  God, 

And  gives  the  peace  of  heaven  below. 

The  slaves  to  error,  the  destroyed, 
Who  neither  joy  nor  comfort  know, 

In  iron  servitude  employed, 

Find  in  Religion  —  heaven  below. 

To  the  opprest,  the  poor  not  fed, 
Who  from  the  rich  quite  empty  go, 

Religion  brings  fair  Zion's  bread, 

And  fills  the  soul  with  heaven  below. 

Those  who  in  riches,  fame,  and  power, 
Nothing  but  anxious  cares  can  know, 


130  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

Find  in  Religion's  humble  bower 

That  peace  which  makes  a  heaven  below. 

The  sick,  the  weak,  the  dying,  too, 
Who  earthly  joys  nor  comforts  know, 

In  pure  Religion  have  a  view 

Of  things  which  make  a  heaven  below. 


HYMN. 

Hark  !  a  glad  voice  from  yonder  dale  ; 
Sweet  whispers  in  the  fanning  gale  ; 
With  joy  I  hear,  and  gladly  hail, 

The  peaceful  voice  of  love. 
Soft  murmuring  streams  of  grace  supreme, 
And  light's  celestial  radiance  beam  — 
All  adding  glory  to  the  scene, 
My  drooping  senses  greatly  cheer  — 

My  thoughts  are  raised  above. 

Adieu,  ye  toys  of  earth  and  time  ! 
Ye  can  no  more  my  thoughts  confine ; 
My  heavenly  lover's  grace  is  mine ; 
My  soul  can  want  no  more. 


HYMN.  131 

Enchanting  powers  of  love  divine, 
And  each  immortal  grace,  combine 
My  grosser  passions  to  refine  ; 
Immortal  glory  fills  my  soul  — 
My  Jesus  I  adore. 

Not  all  the  treasures  of  Peru, 

Nor  polished  gems  that  ancients  knew, 

Have  half  the  beauties  in  my  view, 

As  God's  eternal  Son. 
Not  all  the  pleasures  of  the  spring, 
Nor  all  the  sweets  that  zephyrs  bring, 
Nor  all  the  notes  that  songsters  sing, 
Can  so  delight  my  soul  with  joy 

As  Jesus  doth  alone. 

More  free  than  limpid  streams  that  pass, 
Cool  murmuring  'mong  the  flowery  grass, 
Invite  the  thirsty  as  they  pass, 

Does  Christ  my  soul  invite  ; 
Nor  doth  the  grass  in  time  of  shower, 
Nor  bee  that  sucks  the  honey  flower, 
Nor  weary  swain  beneath  the  bower, 
Receive  new  life  as  soon  as  I, 

Whom  Jesus  doth  delight. 


132  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

May  I,  when  time  with  me  is  o'er, 
And  I  behold  the  sun  no  more, 
In  yonder  world  to  come  adore 

My  Jesus  and  my  King. 
May  Adam's  numerous  throng,  at  last, 
When  sighs,  and  tears,  and  woes  are  past, 
When  in  oblivion  sin  is  cast, 
Raised  on  the  rainbow  of  his  love, 

His  praise  in  glory  sing. 


HYMN. 

RELIGIOUS    CONTROVERSY. 

My  foes  declare,  with  awful  frown, 
The  Lord  my  soul  will  thunder  down 

To  black  and  long  despair ; 
My  crimes,  they  state,  can't  be  forgiven ; 
I  've  preached  so  much  the  love  of  heaven, 

I  ne'er  shall  enter  there  ! 

I  own  the  charge,  and  won't  deny, 
I  've  laid  my  worldly  pleasure  by, 
Devoted  up  my  time 


HYMN.  133 

To  preach  my  Saviour's  boundless  love 
To  all  mankind,  that  they  may  prove 
His  mercy  all  divine. 

Deception !  heresy  !  they  cry ; 
The  fraud  is  of  the  blackest  dye  ; 

Should  Christ  love  sinners  ?  No  ! 
He  loves  his  saints,  and  such  are  we, 
But  sinners  all  must  banished  be 

To  vengeance,  wrath,  and  woe? 

That  I  'm  a  sinner,  Lord,  I  own ; 
But  thou  in  mercy  gavest  thy  Son 

For  wretches  such  as  me  ; 
And  since  I  knew  thy  mercy,  Lord, 
I  have  to  sinners  preached  thy  word, 

That  they  might  taste  and  see. 

If  Christ  for  sinners  feels  no  love, 

What  brought  him  from  the  realms  above, 

To  die  for  sinful  men  ? 
If  Jesus  felt  no  love  for  me, 
Till  I  his  gracious  love  did  see, 

How  did  that  love  begin  ? 
12 


134  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

Lord,  judge  between  my  foes  and  me ; 
Give  us  discerning  eyes  to  see 

And  understand  thy  grace  ; 
If  there  be  mercy  still  in  store 
For  sinners,  then  reveal  thy  power  — 

Unveil  thy  lovely  face. 


HYMN. 

The  following  is  a  little  altered  from  a  song  to  a  hymn. 
Tune  —  "  Wreaths  to  the  chieftains." 

Wreaths  for  the  Saviour  we  honor !  who  planted 
The  gospel  of  peace  in  the  world  that  he  gained  ; 
Christians    his    praise    'neath    its    shelter   have 
chanted  ; 
Secure  in  its  branches  believers  remained. 
Priestcraft  has  scattered  it ; 
Superstition  shattered  it ; 
Flown  is  the  nestler  that  tenanted  there  ! 
Long,  from  persecution's  storm, 
None  sought  its  blighted  form, 
Save  the  lone  martyr  who  died  for  its  care. 


HYMN.  135 

Hosannas,  the  high  vault  of  heaven  ascending, 
Hallow  the  day  when  our  Saviour  was  born  ! 
The  mustard  he  planted  revives,  and  is  blending 
Its  leaves  with  the  vine-branch  that  blooms  o'er 
ts  urn. 
Ne'er  may  the  sacred  tree 
Shorn  of  its  verdure  be  ; 
Ne'er  may  the  blast,  that  hath  scattered  it,  blow. 
Heaven  send  it  happy  dew, 
Grace  lend  it  sap  anew, 
Gayly  to  blossom,  and  widely  to  grow. 

Sunk  be  the  blaze  of  the  fanatic  forever  ! 

Hushed  be  his  wrath  in  the  slumber  of  years ! 
Seraphs  sound  paeans  of  praise  to  the  Giver, 
Peace  hath  illumined  the  nations  in  tears. 

May  she  in  triumph  reign, 

Over  the  world  again  ; 
Ne'er  may  her  fair  floating  banners  be  furled. 

Still  be  the  sinner's  moan, 

Silent  be  the  dying  groan, 
Lost  forever  in  the  life  of  the  world  ! 


136  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

ISAIAH    I.   27. 

"  Zion  shall  be  redeemed  with  judgment,  and  her  converts 
with  righteousness." 

Go,  saith  the  Lord,  ye  fires  of  wrath, 
That  temple  blast  which  sin  hath  raised ; 

Bring  all  her  turrets  to  the  earth, 
Where  sacrifice  profane  hath  blazed. 

Her  altars  are  disowned  of  God, 

Her  carnal  priests  high  places  build ; 

Their  garments,  too,  are  stained  with  blood, 
With  violence  their  hands  are  filled. 

And  yet  to  heaven  their  hands  they  raise, 

And  call  upon  my  holy  name ; 
Up  to  my  throne  they  dare  to  gaze, 

While  truth  and  grace  they  still  disdain. 

Ye,  who  to  Baal's  altars  kneel, 
Shall  mourn  to  see  that  idol  fall ; 

And  in  your  souls  shall  anguish  feel, 
Though  loudly  on  your  God  ye  call. 

Go,  saith  the  Lord,  my  angels,  go, 
For  fire  prepare  that  towering  vine  ! 


LINES. 


137 


Lay  all  her  spreading  branches  low, 
Dash  all  her  bowls  of  maddening  wine. 

God,  with  his  judgment,  shall  redeem 
His  Zion ;  and  her  sons  shall  shine ; 

Her  daughters  in  her  courts  be  seen 
With  righteousness  and  truth  divine. 


LINES 


WRITTEN  ON  THE  DEATH  OF  MOSES  HALL, 
OF  CHARLESTOWN. 

How  persuasively  still,  from  his  silent  repose, 
He  continues  to  speak  to  his  friends  who  sur- 
vive ! 

And  soft  are  his  accents,  as  the  zephyr  that  blows, 
To  fill  us  with  comfort  and  from  fear  to  relieve. 

"  For  your  comfort,  dear  consort,  the  peace  of  my 
mind, 
While  my  strength  and  my  body  were  wasting 
away, 

Keep  in  your  memory  still,  and  think  how  re- 
signed 

I  expected  my  exit ;  nor  wished  I  to  stay. 
12* 


138  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

Why  mourn  then  for  me,  who  have  recovered  my 
home, 

And  so  safely  arrived  at  the  end  of  my  race  ? 
There  is  nothing  on  earth  could  induce  my  return, 

Or  can  vie  with  the  triumphs  and  glory  of  grace. 

And  you,  my  loved  children,  look  ye  up  to  your 
God, 
And  know  ye  that  his  goodness  forever  shall 
last ; 
All  your  sorrows  and  trials,  intended  for  good, 
Soon  shall  vanish  away,  and  forever  be  past. 

On  your  tender  children,  the  bright  crown  that  I 

wore, 

Whom  I  often  embraced  with  affection  and  love, 

May  bright  wisdom  descend  and  remain  evermore, 

And  bring  them  to  these  mansions  of  glory 

above. 

My  kind  brethren  all,  whom  I  loved  in  the  Lord, 
Stand  ye  fast  in  the  faith,  in  your  liberty  stand ; 

Be  faithful  to  Jesus,  and  abide  by  his  word, 
Though  despised  by  the  world,  yet  the  salt  of 
the  land. 


HUMILITY.  139 

And  you  who  derided,  to  the  truth  being  blind, 

The  doctrines  of  Jesus,  by  my  death  you  may  see 
That  grace  which  is  boundless,  and  to  sinners 
most  kind," 
From  doubts  and  from  fears  the  believer  can 
free. 


HUMILITY. 

Frail  worm  am  I,  of  brittle  clay, 
A  feeble  insect  of  a  day, 

And  to  the  earth  confined; 
And  yet  so  mean  a  thing  can  be 
Puffed  up  with  pride  and  vanity, 

Can  bluster  like  the  wind ! 

0  !  what  do  angels  think  of  me  ? 
If  they,  so  humble,  yet  can  see 

And  comprehend  my  heart ; 
With  what  contempt,  could  they  despise, 
On  me  would  glance  their  piercing  eyes ! 

But  pity  takes  my  part. 

With  shame  I  blush,  and  well  I  may, 
Before  that  Power  to  which  I  pray, 
From  whom  I  cannot  hide. 


140  METRICAL    SELECTIONS. 

Before  him  on  my  face  I  fall, 
And  on  his  kind  compassion  call, 
To  humble  all  my  pride. 

My  Saviour's  meekness  would  I  learn, 
His  every  footstep  would  discern, 

And  walk  the  humble  way, 
Which  shuns  the  path  of  sin  and  strife, 
And  leads  to  everlasting  life, 

To  an  immortal  day. 


THE    SEASON. 

Despairing  eyes  beheld  around 

A  killing  dearth  spread  o'er  the  ground, 

And  the  whole  heaven  brass ; 
Powder  and  dust  filled  all  the  air, 
The  sun's  broad  light  was  one  bright  glare, 

And  pallid  was  the  grass. 

A  sore  lament  the  fields  ran  through  ; 
Panting  for  rain,  thirsting  for  dew, 
They  cast  their  robes  of  green ; 


THE    SEASON.  141 

The  cattle  moaned  from  vale  to  vale, 
The  water  from  each  brook  did  fail, 
No  purling  rill  was  seen. 

The  lilies  fair  forgot  their  pride, 
And  drooping  in  the  meadows  died ; 

The  clover  lost  its  hue  ; 
The  lovely  rose  with  sorrow  sighed, 
Its  petals  withered  all,  and  dried ; 

So  did  the  violet  too. 

One  lovely  form  alone  was  seen, 
The  garland  on  her  head  was  green, 

Her  eye  serenely  bright ; 
Her  name  is  Faith,  she  stood  erect, 
Fresh  roses  all  her  raiment  decked, 

Most  lovely  to  the  sight. 

This  holy  angel  cast  her  eyes 

To  heaven's  vault,  and  round  the  skies, 

And  lo,  the  clouds  appeared  ; 
The  rain  in  gentle  showers  distilled, 
The  water  all  the  valleys  filled, 

And  every  garden  cheered. 


142  METRICAL    SELECTIONS. 

Father  of  faith,  accept  our  praise, 
Inspire  our  hearts,  inspire  our  lays, 

Thy  goodness  to  record. 
And  still  may  faith  with  us  abide, 
And  in  thy  law  our  footsteps  guide, 

Where  lies  a  rich  reward. 


GOD    IS    LOVE. 

Through  wide  creation's  vast  expanse 

The  smiles  of  love  appear ; 
While  distant  orbs,  with  twinkling  glance, 

My  drooping  spirits  cheer. 

The  morning  sun,  that  wakes  the  day, 

Proclaims  that  God  is  love  ; 
His  gentle  heat,  his  piercing  ray, 

Invite  my  thoughts  above. 

'Tis  love  that  moves  his  shining  car 

To  noon's  majestic  height ; 
And  love  calls  forth  each  brilliant  star 

That  decorates  the  night. 

And  when  the  moon's  mild  face  appears, 
Love  crowns  the  queen  of  night ; 


GOD    IS    LOVE. 


143 


It  every  hill  and  valley  cheers 
With  innocent  delight. 

When  lovely  spring-,  with  flowery  wreaths, 
Comes  on  young-  zephyr's  wing, 

And  every  bird  soft  music  breathes, 
'T  is  love  that  makes  them  sing. 

Love  breathes  in  every  wind  that  blows, 

And  sweetens  all  the  air ; 
Meanders  in  each  stream  that  flows, 

Inviting  pleasures  there. 

Love  blossoms  in  the  forest  trees, 
And  paints  each  garden  flower ; 

Gives  honey  to  the  laboring  bees 
In  every  sunny  hour. 

Love  brings  the  golden  harvest  in, 
And  fills  her  stores  with  food : 

It  moves  ten  thousand  tongues  to  sing 
Of  IL\rvERSAL  Good. 


144  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 


SPRING 


Hail,  lovely  Nymph !  whose  glad  advance 

The  virgin  graces  sing ; 
The  lambkins  in  thy  scenery  dance ; 

There 's  fowl  of  every  wing. 

Fresh  garlands  deck  thy  robe  of  green, 

Wove  by  thy  skill  so  rare ; 
And  flowerets  in  thy  tresses  gleam, 

Whose  odors  fill  the  air. 

At  thy  approach  the  ice  and  snow 

Dissolve  to  limpid  rills ; 
And  by  thy  soft  attractions  flow, 

Till  every  valley  fills. 

The  opening  buds  confess  thy  power, 

And  offer  leaves  to  thee ; 
Thy  blush  is  seen  in  every  flower, 

Thy  charms  in  every  tree. 

I  love  to  ramble  through  each  field 
Where  tread  thy  gentle  feet ; 

And  breathe  the  sweets  thy  zephyrs  yield, 
Where  all  thy  beauties  meet. 


AN    ADDRESS    TO    UNIVERSALISM.  1  i~> 

Come  to  thy  gardens,  lovely  spring, 
And  set  thy  plants  and  flowers  ; 

To  open  view  their  petals  bring, 
And  wash  them  in  thy  showers. 


AN    ADDRESS    TO    UNIVERSALISM, 

Celestial  nymph,  of  heavenly  birth  ! 
When  first  I  saw  thy  form  on  earth, 

I  gave  to  thee  my  heart; 
The  gift,  though  small,  thou  didst  not  spurn: 
Thy  favors  I  received  in  turn ; 

0  may  we  never  part ! 

Before  to  love  I  knew  thy  claims, 
I  heard  thee  called  forbidding  names, 

And  thought  report  was  true  ; 
One  gracious  Anti-nomos  said 
That  thou,  a  fiend,  from  hell  hadst  fled ; 

And  this  he  said  he  knew. 

Ar?ni?iius,  too,  as  much  could  say, 
That  Beelzebub,  while  on  his  way, 
Had  conjured  thee  to  life. 
13 


146  METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

Though  foes  to  one  another,  they 
Against  thy  life  agreed  to  pray, 
And  then  renewed  their  strife. 

I  pondered  long  on  what  I  heard ; 
Sometimes  I  hoped,  sometimes  I  feared ; 

Yet  had  not  seen  thy  face ; 
Some  whispers,  from  thy  lips  divine, 
Fell  softly  on  these  ears  of  mine, 

And  warmed  my  heart  with  grace. 

Around  I  cast  my  wishful  eyes ; 
On  earth  I  looked,  and  to  the  skies, 

To  find  thee  here  or  there  ; 
But  blindness  did  my  vision  bind, 
I  strove  and  strove,  but  could  not  find 

Thee,  everlasting  fair. 

A  touch  of  thy  celestial  hand 

Took  from  mine  eyes  that  fatal  band, 

And  then  thy  form  I  saw ; 
As  is  removed  a  funeral  shroud, 
Or  as  retires  a  stormy  cloud, 

Did  all  my  fears  withdraw. 


AN    ADDRESS    TO    UN1VERSALISM.  147 

What  light  and  love,  what  joy  and  peace, 
I  felt  within  my  soul  increase, 

As  waters  gently  rise ! 
Love  was  thy  banner  o'er  my  head, 
Thy  dazzling  glory  round  me  spread, 

And  blessed  my  strengthened  eyes. 

My  heart  to  thee  I  gave,  and  thine 
Received  in  covenant  divine, 

As  wedded  hearts  are  one  ; 
Against  thy  foes  thou  didst  me  arm, 
And  in  thy  strength,  secure  from  harm, 

To  victory  I  run  ! 

Not  all  thy  foes  on  earth  can  say 
Can  turn  my  heart  from  thee  away, 

And  yet  my  heart  is  free  ; 
These  wounds  and  scars,  which  men  despise. 
Are  jewels  precious  in  thine  eyes, 

And  this  is  all  to  me. 

Had  I  ten  thousand  years  to  live, 

Had  I  ten  thousand  lives  to  give, 

All  these  should  be  thine  own ; 


148  METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

And  that  foul  scorn  thy  foes  bestow 
Still  prove  a  laurel  to  my  brow, 
And  their  contempt,  a  throne. 

My  soul,  a  flame  of  love,  aspires, 

As  does  my  heart,  with  warm  desires, 

To  live  in  thine  embrace ; 
Were  this  whole  globe  a  diamond  bright, 
I  'd  give  the  whole  for  thy  pure  light, 

For  thy  far  richer  grace. 


HYMN. 

"  The  earth,  O  Lord,  is  full  of  thy  goodness." 

Thy  goodness  fills  the  earth,  O  Lord, 

It  swells  the  vernal  bud, 
It  travels  through  the  lands  abroad, 

And  rolls  along  the  flood. 

In  every  ray  of  light  it  comes, 
From  distant  worlds  afar ; 

It  visits  earth  from  yonder  suns, 
And  lives  in  every  star. 


HYMN    OF    PRAISE.  149 

I  see  it  in  the  foliage  green, 

It  covers  hill  and  vale  ; 
It  flows  along  each  limpid  stream, 

And  rides  on  every  gale. 

It  swells  the  notes  which  cheer  the  grove 

With  melody  and  song ; 
It  kindles  up  the  fire  of  love, 

And  dwells  on  every  tongue. 


HYMN    OF    PRAISE. 

To  Him  who  rules  the  worlds  afar, 

To  Him  who  marshals  every  star, 

To  Him  who  spread  and  dressed  the  skies, 

Let  universal  praise  arise. 

Ye  finny  tribes  that  cleave  the  deep, 
And  sport  where  fields  of  coral  sleep, 
From  your  vast  world  of  waters  raise 
To  God  a  hymn  of  grateful  praise. 

And  ye,  who,  buoyant  on  the  wing, 

From  spray  to  spray,  from  limb  to  limb, 

Let  all  your  varied  notes  accord 

To  hymn  the  honors  of  the  Lord. 
13* 


150  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

Ye  beasts  that  roam  the  forest  wild 


With  courage  fierce,  or  tempers  mild, 
Let  all  your  tribes,  in  various  ways, 
To  Him  one  general  chorus  raise. 

Ye  sons  of  men,  whose  reason  bright 
Is  one  vast  fire  of  heavenly  light, 
Awake  devotion's  sacred  flame, 
And  chant  aloud  Jehovah's  name. 


WISDOM. 

What  gem  is  that  of  purest  ray, 
Which  guides  the  traveller  on  his  way, 
And  turns  the  darkness  into  day ; 
That  will  not  let  his  strength  decay  ? 

I  mean  that  pearl,  by  few  possessed, 
Which  ever  makes  its  owner  blest ; 
That  gives  the  heavy-ladened  rest, 
And  comfort  yields  to  sorrow's  breast  ? 

That  precious  stone,  whose  touch  can  heal 
The  deepest  sorrows  mourners  feel, 
And  unknown  things  of  God  reveal, 
Yet  from  the  world  ourselves  conceal  ? 


THE    STRAIGHT    AND   NARROW   WAY.  151 

That  treasure,  which  neglected  lies, 
And  by  the  needy  is  despised, 
That  gives  to  blindness  angels'  eyes, 
To  mortals  life  that  never  dies  ? 

It  is  that  icisdom  from  above, 

That 's  full  of  peace,  that 's  full  of  love, 

And  ever  harmless  as  the  dove ; 

O  may  we  all  its  blessings  prove. 


THE  STRAIGHT  AND  NARROW  WAY. 

Wide  is  the  gate  and  broad  the  way, 

That  to  destruction  lead ; 
And  countless  thousands  thither  stray, 

With  a  resistless  speed. 

But  straight  and  narrow  is  the  road, 

And  few  the  pilgrims  there, 
Which  leads  to  life,  to  peace,  and  God, 

Free  from  distress  and  care. 

Thus,  on  the  mount,  did  mercy's  voice 

Instruction  kindly  breathe, 
And  won  a  few  to  make  the  choice, 

To  walk  in  Christ  and  live. 


152  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

O,  stranger,  wouldst  thou  enter  here, 
And  shun  destruction's  way  ? 

Resist  temptation's  fatal  snare, 
And  fly  without  delay. 

From  others  all  thou  wouldst  desire, 
To  them  perform  the  same ; 

The  law  and  prophets  this  require  : 
For  this  the  Saviour  came. 


TO    A    MOURNING    MOTHER 

There  's  pity  in  a  Saviour's  breast, 
Compassion  's  in  his  eye  ; 

To  him,  dear  madam,  fly  for  rest ; 
He  marks  the  mourner's  sigh. 

The  sorrows  of  a  broken  heart 

He  never  will  protest ; 
But  consolation's  balm  impart, 

And  give  affliction  rest. 

O  fly  to  him,  he  's  ever  near ; 

Thy  grief  he  makes  his  own ; 
With  full  assurance  then  draw  near, 

And  bow  before  his  throne. 


LINES.  153 

In  him  you  '11  find  a  calm  retreat, 

And  every  blessing  share, 
While  humbly  bending  at  his  feet, 

Another  Mary  there. 


LINES. 

"  If  a  man  die,  shall  he  live  again  ?  "  — Job  xiv.  14. 

Inspiring  truth,  thy  light  convey, 
And  drive  this  cloud  and  mist  away ; 

I  roam  in  darkness  here. 
The  doubtful  question  solve ;  that  I 
May  know  if  soul  and  body  die 

When  ends  life's  short  career. 

If  this  be  true,  is  man  aught  more 
Than  what  he  was  ages  before 

Kind  nature  gave  him  birth  ? 
Or  is  he  more  than  weeds  and  flowers, 
Warmed  by  the  sun  and  nursed  with  showers, 

When  turned  again  to  earth  ? 

Than  angels,  man  a  little  lower 
Was  made  ;  and  yet  we  read  he  bore 
The  image  of  his  God. 


154  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

In  what  consists  this  image  bright, 
If  naught  remains  when  death's  dark  night 
Rolls  on  his  mighty  flood  ? 

Are  beasts  that  in  our  pastures  feed, 
And  for  our  food  are  doomed  to  bleed, 

As  near  to  angels,  say, 
As  man,  whom  God  his  offspring  calls, 
On  whom  his  gentlest  favor  falls  ? 

Shall  he  like  worms  decay  ? 

O  man,  to  thee  it  ne'er  was  given 
To  scan  the  hidden  things  of  heaven. 

Herein  thy  wisdom  lies  : 
That  promise,  which  thy  God  hath  made, 
Insures  thee  life  beyond  death's  shade ; 

Believe  him  and  be  wise. 

Thy  vast  concerns  are  in  his  power, 
Who  watches  o'er  thee  every  hour ; 

In  life  and  death  the  same. 
Then  trust  in  God,  and  fear  no  harm ; 
Thy  safety  is  the  Almighty  arm ; 

Thy  refuge  is  his  name. 


AN    ALARM.  155 

AN    ALARM. 

Calvinism  !   Calvinism !  have  you  heard  of  the 
schism 
Common  sense  and  carnal  reason  are  making  ? 
These   assuming   intruders,  these  worst  of  de- 
luders, 
Religion's  foundations  are  shaking  ! 

Heresy  0  !  heresy  0  !  carnal  reason  and  Co., 
Are  bringing,  like  a  mist  o'er  the  sun  ! 

I  give  you  the  hint,  some  people  e'en  think, 
One  and  two  are  two  more  than  one  ! 

Reverend  priests !  reverend  priests !  no  more  of 
your  feasts ; 

'T  is  a.  day  for  prayer,  and  for  fasting ; 
Some  lambs  of  your  fold,  if  rightly  I  'm  told, 

Think  there  's  mercy  for  all  everlasting ! 

O,  orthodox  !  O,  orthodox !  do  you  know  all  the 
plots, 

Your  foes,  the  scriptures  and  reason,  are  laying, 
Light  and  truth  to  spread  wide,  and  you  set  aside  ? 

Even  respect  for  your  name  is  decaying ! 


156  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

Pharisees   proud!    pharisees   proud!    don't   mix 
with  the  crowd ; 
Stand  aloof  and  disfigure  your  faces ; 
More  pains  you  should  take  to  support  the  mis- 
take 
That  pride  and  conceit  are  sanctified  graces. 

Close  communion  !  close  communion  !  stand  fast 
to  your  union ; 

As  from  temptation,  from  charity  fly ; 
Let  brotherly  love,  like  Noah's  wandering  dove, 

Ne'er  have  a  spot  for  her  foot  meet  her  eye. 


THANKSGIVING. 

O  praise  the  Lord,  exalt  his  name, 

His  mighty  acts  declare  ; 
His  mercy  ever  is  the  same, 

His  goodness  crowns  the  year. 

Cold  winter's  frosty  bands  he  broke, 
And  sent  the  vernal  showers  ; 

Earth,  listening  to  the  word  he  spoke, 
Set  forth  her  buds  and  flowers. 


THANKSGIVING.  157 

At  his  command,  the  time  of  seed 

Called  labor  to  the  field  J 
Warm  summer  sans  did  then  succeed, 

A  harvest  rich  to  yield. 

O  that  the  sons  of  men  would  praise 
Such  wisdom,  love,  and  grace  ; 

To  God  exalted  anthems  raise, 
And  bow  before  his  face. 

Now  see  the  burdened  cars  descend, 

From  all  the  country  round, 
While  bounties,  from  Jehovah's  hand, 

Through  all  our  streets  abound. 

Rich  favors  from  the  ocean  wide 

Kind  Providence  has  sent ; 
Our  every  want  is  well  supplied 

With  plenty  and  content. 

Fair  science,  with  increasing  light, 

Dispels  our  mental  gloom, 
And,  lifting  up  the  clouds  of  night, 

Pours  in  a  brilliant  noon. 

Our  churches,  thronged  with  every  age, 

Who  grace  divine  approve, 
14 


158  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

In  the  delightful  work  engage 
To  chant  a  Saviour's  love. 

Her  watchmen  on  fair  Zion  stand, 

Glad  tidings  to  proclaim, 
And  spread  salvation  through  the  land, 

In  our  Immanuel's  name. 

O  that  the  sons  of  men  would  praise 
The  God  of  boundless  grace, 

His  honor  in  their  anthems  raise, 
And  bow  before  his  face. 


GOD    IS    LOVE. 

That  God,  who  made  the  sun  and  moon, 

Is  love,  unchanging  love  ; 
That  God,  who  gives  us  night  and  noon, 

Is  everlasting  love. 

That  God,  who  made  the  mighty  seas, 

Is  love,  unchanging  love ; 
And  bound  them  fast  by  his  decrees, 

Is  everlasting  love. 


GOD   IS    LOVE.  159 

That  God,  who  made  the  mountains  high, 

Is  love,  unchanging  love  ; 
Who  filled  with  stars  the  azure  sky, 

Is  everlasting  love. 

That  God,  who  made  the  rivers  flow, 

Is  love,  unchanging  love  ; 
Who  fills  with  fruits  the  valleys  low, 

Is  everlasting  love. 

That  God,  who  spread  creation  wide, 

Is  love,  unchanging  love  ; 
Who  rules  the  ocean  and  the  tide, 

Is  everlasting  love. 

That  God,  who  did  us  all  create, 

Is  love,  unchanging  love  ; 
Who  never  can  his  creatures  hate, 

Is  everlasting  love. 


160  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

"MY    KINGDOM    IS    NOT    OF    THIS 
WORLD." 

This  was  written  in  reference  to  what  a  clergyman  of 
Boston  published,  to  induce  our  legislature,  which  was  then 
in  session,  to  compel  people  to  support  religion. 

Ye  counsellors,  reverend  and  wise, 
May  one  so  humble  you  advise, 

On  pure  religion's  cause  ? 
Then  from  our  text  at  once  you  learn, 
It  leans  not  on  the  civil  arm, 

Nor  rests  on  human  laws. 

The  gospel  of  God's  grace  and  love 
Flows  like  a  river  from  above, 

In  wisdom's  current  free. 
Mark  well,  no  human  laws  we  know 
E'er  taught  the  rivers  where  to  flow, 

Or  how  to  find  the  sea. 

Religion,  like  the  sun's  broad  light, 
Dispels  our  darkness  and  our  night, 

And  gives  celestial  day. 
Can  human  laws  control  the  sun, 
Direct  the  golden  orb  to  run 

Where  legislators  say  ? 


MY   KINGDOM    IS   NOT    OF   THIS   WORLD.        161 

As  rain  and  snow  from  heaven  fall, 
A  blessing  sure  to  great  and  small, 

So  is  God's  faithful  word 
Can  legislation  form  one  shower, 
And  through  the  skies  extend  its  power  ? 

The  thought  is  most  absurd. 

Like  dew,  that  falls  from  heaven  by  night, 
Invisible  to  mortal  sight, 

Religion  comes  to  man. 
When  legislators  make  the  dew, 
And  every  night  can  it  renew, 

They  '11  help  the  gospel  plan. 

As  free  as  air,  or  wind  that  blows, 
Whose  destination  no  one  knows, 

Are  souls  born  from  above. 
Can  legislators  change  the  wind  ? 
Then  may  their  laws  convert  the  mind, 

And  fill  the  soul  with  love. 

To  Zion  the  sweet  prophet  said, 
As  manly  youth  pure  virgins  wed, 
Thy  sons  shall  marry  thee. 
14* 


162  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

Must  then  a  man  by  law  be  drove 
To  marry  one  he  cannot  love  ? 
Sure  this  would  bondage  be. 

Those  who  in  Christ  salvation  find, 
Eeceive  him  a  physician  kind, 

Their  sickness  all  to  heal. 
Must  then  coercive  law  compel 
The  sick  to  find  the  healing  skill, 

And  love  of  health  to  feel  ? 

Ye  reverend  priests,  how  oft  you  've  said 
That  Jesus  is  the  living  bread, 

For  men  to  eat  and  live. 
Must  then  the  force  of  law  control 
A  fainting,  hungry,  starving  soul, 

To  eat  the  bread  you  give  ? 

But  if  you  preach  what  cost  you  dear, 
And  you  must  have  so  much  a  year 

For  what  no  man  can  eat; 
Then  law  religion  may  be  wise, 
Supporting  priestcraft  in  disguise ; 

But  oh,  the  hateful  cheat ! 


IMPARTIAL   GOODNESS.  163 

IMPARTIAL    GOODNESS. 

The  sun's  enlivening  beams  unveil 

Our  heavenly  Father's  face, 
And  testify,  as  they  prevail, 

His  rich,  impartial  grace. 

The  fig-tree,  olive,  nor  the  vine, 

No  more  his  rays  can  claim, 
Than  noisome  weeds,  on  which  they  shine 

With  an  impartial  flame. 

Ye  bigots,  think  on  this,  and  say, 

Why  God  should  not  confine 
The  sun's  blest  power,  and  every  ray, 

To  some  elected  vine  ? 

See  yonder  thistle's  towering  head, 

As  wet  with  morning  dew 
As  favorite  flowers  in  the  bed 

Where  nursed  by  care  and  you. 

Say,  why  should  not  the  hand  that  throws 

Abroad  the  precious  dew 
Confine  this  favor  (well  he  knows) 

To  your  elected  few  ? 


164  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

Behold  the  rain,  whose  genial  powers 
The  grass  and  corn  revive, 

Impartial  falls,  in  gentle  showers, 
On  thorns,  and  makes  them  thrive. 

Why  should  the  Father  of  the  rain, 
With  such  impartial  hand, 

On  every  mountain,  hill,  and  plain, 
Such  gracious  tokens  send  ? 

Why  not,  like  you,  his  love  divine, 

To  some  elected  place, 
With  wise  precaution  there  confine 

The  fulness  of  his  grace  ? 


MEEKNESS. 

When  chill  November's  frosty  breath 
Lays  vegetation  low  in  death, 
The  lofty  flowers  of  various  dye 
No  more  salute  the  wandering  eye. 

Yet  in  this  season  I  have  seen 
The  lowly  violet  in  green, 
I  've  seen  its  lovely  blossoms  glow 
Beneath  a  drifted  fleece  of  snow. 


CHRIST   THE    LIGHT    OF    THE    WORLD.  165 

A  useful  lesson  here  I  learn, 
Which  many  seem  not  to  discern, — 
Though  meekness  courts  not  vulgar  eyes, 
It  lives  when  pride  and  folly  dies. 

0  may  I,  like  this  humble  flower, 
In  meekness  lie,  nor  try  to  tower ; 
When  all  vain  glory  sinks  and  dies, 
Be  lovely  in  my  Maker's  eyes. 


CHRIST    THE    LIGHT    AND    LIFE 
OF    THE   WORLD. 

Behold  the  light !  now  see  it  rise  ! 
How  fast  it  spreads  !  fills  earth  and  skies ; 
While  night  and  darkness  flee  apace, 
Before  the  Saviour's  day  of  grace. 

The  sun's  bright  beam  shall  now  expire 
In  brighter  rays  and  warmer  fire ; 
Nature,  regenerate  and  pure, 
Shall  rise  to  glory  and  endure. 

No  winter  shall  these  climes  annoy, 
No  chilling  blasts  young  buds  destroy ; 


166  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

The  tree  of  life  its  fruit  shall  yield, 
And  dying  man  of  death  be  healed. 

Seraphic  raptures  swell  the  theme, 
And  joys  bewilder  like  a  dream ; 
Then  wait,  my  soul,  the  perfect  day, 
Yet  walk  the  bright,  the  shining  way. 


HYMN 


Thy  presence,  Lord,  gives  pure  delight, 

Our  sorrows  takes  away, 
Dispels  the  darkness  of  our  night, 

And  spreads  effulgent  day. 

Like  water  to  the  thirsty  soul 

Are  flowings  of  thy  love, 
Thy  spirit  sways  with  soft  control, 

And  bears  our  thoughts  above. 

Why  should  we  then  decline  from  thee  ? 

In  search  of  folly  rove  ? 
Or  strive  to  set  our  passions  free 

From  the  soft  bands  of  love  ? 


CHRISTMAS    HYMN.  167 

Extend  around  thy  loving  arms, 

Enfold  us  in  thy  breast, 
Where,  captives  to  resistless  charms, 

Our  wavering  souls  may  rest. 

Raise  in  our  breasts  a  quickening  zeal, 
That  faith  which  works  by  love ; 

And  to  our  strengthened  eyes  reveal 
Our  life  in  Christ  above. 


CHRISTMAS    HYMN. 

Ye  meek,  advance ;  ye  lowly,  come, 

Prepare  a  joyful  song, 
And  bear  the  wonders  God  has  done 

On  every  thankful  tongue. 

Glad  tidings  came  on  angel's  wings, 
Meek  shepherds  heard  the  news ; 

This  day  is  born  the  King  of  kings, 
Messiah  of  the  Jews. 

This  is  the  Son  which  God  hath  given, 

To  save  our  sinful  race, 
To  guide  our  wandering  feet  to  heaven, 

By  his  redeeming  grace. 


168  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

If  angels,  on  the  happy  day- 
Salvation's  King  was  born, 

God's  glory  sang  in  lofty  lay, 
And  peace  to  man  forlorn  ; 

O  then,  let  every  thankful  heart 

A  grateful  tribute  bring, 
With  hosts  of  angels  bear  a  part, 

And  joyful  anthems  sing. 

To  bind  the  wounded,  broken  heart, 

And  heal  the  soul  of  sin, 
And  to  the  dying  life  impart, 

Did  Christ  salvation  bring. 

Through  darkest  clouds  of  sorrow's  night 
The  Saviour's  grace  is  seen, 

And  rays  of  mercy,  quick  and  bright, 
On  guilty  sinners  gleam. 

Come,  sing  his  grace  with  rapture's  flame, 

And  all  his  love  record ; 
In  everlasting  songs  proclaim 

Salvation  of  the  Lord. 


THE  CARRIER'S  ADDRESS.         169 

THE    CARRIER'S    ADDRESS 

TO     THE     PATRONS     OF     THE     UNIVERSALIST 
MAGAZINE,     JANUARY     1,    1821. 

Once  more,  kind  friends,  the  salutation  hear 
Of  one,  who  wishes  all  true  happiness  this  year ; 
With  pure  affection,  fondly  hopes  that  you 
The  past,  with  its  events,  with  pleasure  view. 
Your  debts  all  paid,  and  dues  collected  in, 
Your  time  well  spent,  your  conscience  free  from 
sin. 

Since  last  your  servant  had  the  pleasing  task, 
By  such  address,  your  favor  kind  to  ask, 
Kind  Providence  its  riches  has  displayed, 
To  man  and  beast  its  favors  choice  conveyed. 
What  vernal  suns  and  zephyrs  soft  could  do, 
What  summer's  heat  and  the  distilling  dew, 
What  rains   and   showers,    scarce    a   lack   was 

known , 
The  seed  came  forth,  by  hand  of  labor  sown ; 
The   meadows,  fields,  and  pastures,  dressed  in 

green, 
Were  by  the  eye  of  expectation  seen, 
15 


170  METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

Till  yellow  autumn,  bending  with  her  store, 
To  labor  gave  a  recompense,  and  more. 
Well  you  remember  virgin  May  and  June, 
When  fragrance  filled  the  air  from  trees  in  bloom ; 
Nor  have  forgot  the  richer  season,  when 
The  fruit  so  rare  from  country  towns  came  in ; 
When  crimson  cherries,  and  the  peach  of  gold, 
And  melons  fair,  were  in  our  markets  sold ; 
When  you  rejoiced  to  feast  your  children  dear, 
Those  sweet  delights,  your   pleasure   and   your 
care. 

The  rights  of  freemen  you  have  all  enjoyed, 
And  as  you  would  your  precious  time  employed ; 
No  humble  vassals  to  a  tyrant's  throne, 
The  fruit  of  all  your  labor  is  your  own. 
Beneath  a  government  so  wise,  so  mild, 
The  arts  have  nourished,  and  fair  science  smiled; 
Your  schools  and  colleges  produce  a  race 
As  wise  as  Solon,  the  famed  son  of  Greece. 

Religion,  free  and  pure,  a  heaven  on  earth, 
To  joys  celestial  in  the  soul  gives  birth, 
When  in  the  closet,  or  the  house  of  God, 
Sweet  streams  of  mercy  flow  through  Jesus'  blood  ; 


THE  CARRIER'S  ADDRESS.         171 

While  charity  abounds  and  union  grows, 
And  love  unfeigned  to  every  creature  flows. 

Would  you  the  future  of  the  year  look  through, 
Of  your  concerns  anticipate  a  view  ? 
Sure  my  best  wishes  shall  the  whole  attend, 
And  look  to  Heaven  to  be  your  guide  and  friend. 
Let  cautious  prudence  your  companion  be, 
From  feuds  and  broils  let  every  one  be  free ; 
Of  debts  but  few  contract,  and  those  but  small, 
In  season  due  take  care  to  pay  them  all. 
Of  time,  so  precious,  waste  ye  not  a  day, 
And  of  your  earnings  squander  none  away. 
See  that  your  children  follow  virtue's  rules, 
Nor  suffer  them  to  stray,  with  fops  and  fools, 
From  night  to  night,  where  vice  with  folly  reigns, 
And  dissipation  an  ascendance  gains. 
Your  households  all,  the  rules  of  prudence  learn, 
And  how  to  save,  as  well  as  how  to  earn. 
These  virtues,  of  themselves,  rich  blessings  are, 
And  never  fail  of  Heaven's  smiles  and  care. 

The  Magazine  still  lives  and  travels  far, 
And  if  not  bright,  a  steady,  ruling  star ; 


172  METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

Its  mild  attractions,  and  its  gleaming  light, 
Are  felt  and  seen  through  superstition's  night ; 
Imaginary  hells  have  fled  away, 
For  devils  cannot  live  in  open  day. 
One  number,  from  his  dark  abode  of  sin, 
Old  Nick^  returned,  and  with  a  spiteful  grin, 
With  horror's  menace,  and  with  dreadful  roar, 
Groaned  deep  with  pain,  and  said  he  'd  have  no 

more  ! 
But  those  who  love  the  truth,  and  take  delight 
In  that  which  tends  to  make  its  beauty  bright, 
With  joy  its  columns  read,  quite  pleased  to  find 
That  God  and  Christ  are  friends  to  all  mankind. 
Let  this  great  principle  of  love  be  taught, 
Till  superstition's  fabric  comes  to  nought ; 
Till  partial  creeds,  like  mists,  have  fled  away, 
And  truth  and  peace  bear  universal  sway. 

*  See  Magazine  of  April  18,  1820,  p.  163. 


THE  ORTHODOX'S  ADDRESS  TO  ST.  PAUL.  173 

THE  ORTHODOX'S  ADDRESS  TO 
SAINT  PAUL. 

Thou  saint  in  heaven,  enrobed  in  white, 
Thy  soul  all  love,  thy  mind  all  light, 
No  glass  obstructs  thy  visual  beam, 
God's  counsels  deep  by  thee  are  seen. 
Could st  thou  be  here  with  us  below, 
And  teach  us  all  which  thou  dost  know, 
Thy  ministry  on  earth  retrace, 
And  mend  each  error  of  thy  race ; 
With  angel's  mind  and  seraph's  speed, 
Couldst  thou  thy  long  epistles  read, 
With  pen  oblivious  erase, 
And  truth  insert  in  error's  place, 
Where  would  amendment  first  begin  ? 
Where  "  grace  abounds  much  more  than  sin  ?  " 
Was  this  an  error  of  thy  mind, 
Or  slip  to  which  thy  pen  inclined  ? 
Well,  this  erased  —  what  fills  its  place? 
O  !  "  sin  abounds  much  more  than  grace." 
Well  mended  this  ;  but  what  comes  next  ? 
A  worse,  a  more  perplexing  text ; 
"  Therefore,  as  by  offence  of  one, 
Damnation  on  all  men  has  come, 
15* 


174  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

By  righteousness  of  one,  indeed, 
Are  all  from  condemnation  freed." 
With  ink  profuse  these  lines  erase, 
Put  something  better  in  their  place. 
"  For  one  offence  the  judgment  fell, 
And  all  men  doomed  to  endless  hell ; 
By  righteousness  of  one  who  died, 
A  few  are  freely  justified." 
This  makes  it  clear,  but  strange  to  find 
To  error  oft  thy  pen  inclined  ; 
Much  buffeted  by  some  foul  fiend, 
Too  often  wrote  what  thou  must  mend. 
"  God  hath  his  will  to  us  made  plain, 
That  he  to  Christ  all  things  will  gain, 
All  things  in  heaven  and  earth  as  one, 
Shall  gathered  be  in  Christ  his  Son." 
Strange  error  this  ;  for  were  it  so, 
Sure  none  would  suffer  endless  woe. 
Then  strike  it  out,  the  vacance  fill 
With  what  will  doom  mankind  to  hell. 
But  here  again,  thy  pen,  unwise, 
Our  orthodoxy  sound  denies  ; 
"  God  hath  exalted  high  his  Son, 
To  reign  forever  on  his  throne, 


THE  ORTHODOX'S  ADDRESS  TO  ST.  PAUL.  175 

That  in  his  name  all  knees  shall  bow, 
And  tongues  confess  the  loyal  vow ; 
In  heaven,  on,  or  under  earth, 
All  creatures  God  has  given  birth 
A  willing  worship  long  shall  pay, 
And  live  an  everlasting  day,"  — 
Erase  the  whole ;  such  things  as  these 
Our  heretics  do  greatly  please. 

Hadst  thou  believed  all  human  kind 
At  last  the  Saviour's  grace  would  find, 
Couldst  thou  have  plainer  wrote  than  here 
Thou  hast  ?     Couldst  thou  have  been  more 

clear  ? 
"  It  pleased  God,  the  Father,  well. 
All  fulness  in  his  Son  should  dwell ; 
And  having  peace  made  by  his  cross, 
To  reconcile,  from  sin  and  dross, 
Unto  himself  all  things  in  heaven 
And  earth ;  for  all  to  Christ  were  given." 
All  this  strike  out ;  supply  its  place 
With  what  will  limit  saving  grace. 
'T  is  all  in  vain !  for  here  are  more 
As  wrong  as  those  we  've  seen  before. 


176  METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

"  God  will  have  all  men  saved,  and  know 
The  truth,  and  grace  he  does  bestow; 
Jesus  himself  a  ransom  gave 
For  all  mankind,  that  they  might  live." 
Ah,  blessed  saint,  we  've  cause  to  fear 
Thy  mind  on  earth  was  not  so  clear 
As  now  in  bliss ;  where  thou  must  know 
Millions  to  endless  misery  go  ; 
Where  all  your  blissful  pleasures  rise 
From  flames  of  hell  which  light  your  skies. 
But  here  on  earth  the  saints  complain 
That  you  should  write  so  much  in  vain. 
Nay  worse ;  for  heretics  depend 
On  you,  their  doctrine  to  defend. 


PRAISE. 

May  all  our  powers  of  mind 
To  God,  our  Father  kind, 

An  anthem  raise  ; 
Whose  cloud  of  glory  bright, 
With  beams  of  heavenly  light, 
Dispels  the  gloom  of  night ; 

O  sing  his  praise  ! 


PRAISE.  177 

The  God  of  truth  and  grace 
Unveils  his  radiant  face, 

And  breaks  the  power 
Of  superstition's  chain  ; 
His  grace  shall  ever  reign, 
And  righteousness  maintain, 

While  we  adore. 

As  the  blest  morning  ray 
Drives  darkness  far  away, 

Behold  his  love 
Our  night  of  sin  illumes, 
Our  hatred  all  consumes, 
Each  heart  with  grace  perfumes, 

In  courts  above. 

All  creatures  shall  combine 
To  sing  this  grace  divine, 

And  sound  his  fame, 
Who  saves  the  world  from  sin, 
And  righteousness  brings  in. 
O  let  us  now  begin 

To  praise  his  name  ! 


178  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

YOUTH. 

What  is  it  like  ?  't  is  like  a  flower, 
That  opens  to  the  morning  sun, 

That 's  lovely  to  the  eye  an  hour, 

When  lo  !  its  blushing  beauty  's  gone. 

'T  is  like  a  dream,  when  fancy  reigns, 
And  spreads  her  airy  mantle  round, 

Imagination  rules  the  brains, 

And  judgment  lies  in  sleep  profound. 

'T  is  like  a  fragile  bark  when  tossed, 
High  bounding  o'er  the  restless  wave, 

That 's  in  a  moment  wrecked,  and  lost 
Forever  in  a  watery  grave. 

'T  is  like  the  spring  when  verdure  yields 
A  pleasing  prospect  to  the  eye, 

When  vestments  through  a  thousand  fields 
Lose,  by  summer  suns,  their  dye. 

'T  is  like  the  infant  ice  laid  o'er 
The  peaceful  bosom  of  the  lake, 

Where  boys,  adventurous  from  the  shore, 
Their  sudden,  woful  exit  make. 


UNIVERSAL  GOODNESS.  179 

'T  is  like  a  faithless  promise's  lure, 
Which  prospects  paints  to  fancy's  eye, 

And  renders  disappointment  sure, 

Which  leaves  the  lamp  of  hope  to  die. 

'T  is  like  the  falling  snow,  you  've  seen 
Descending  from  its  frozen  store, 

When,  driven  on  the  running  stream, 
It  disappears,  is  seen  no  more. 

'T  is  like  those  varying  colors  bright, 
Reflected  from  an  evening  cloud, 

Which,  fading  at  the  approach  of  night, 
Are  mantled  in  a  murky  shroud. 


UNIVERSAL    GOODNESS. 

Through  all  creation  God  is  seen, 
On  mountains  high,  in  valleys  green  ; 
The  waving  forests  speak  his  praise, 
Made  vocal  with  a  thousand  lays ; 
While  every  shrub  and  every  flower 
Displays  the  goodness  of  his  power. 
At  yonder  sun  with  wonder  gaze  ; 
'T  is  God  who  gives  him  all  his  rays, 


180  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

And  sends  his  powerful  influence  round 
To  bless  the  world's  remotest  bound. 
A  milder  ray  and  softer  light 
He  gives  the  moon  to  cheer  the  night ; 
While  distant  globes,  through  all  the  sky, 
Harmonious  speak  his  praises  high. 
The  brooks  and  rivers,  as  they  flow, 
From  mountains  high,  through  valleys  low, 
Rich  blessings  from  his  bounty  bring, 
Which  make  the  laughing  meadows  sing. 
Down  pours  the  rain  from  clouds  on  high, 
Those  clouds  which  darken  all  the  sky  ; 
The  springing  grass,  the  waving  corn, 
And  blushing  flowers,  the  fields  adorn. 
My  soul,  unto  thy  Maker  raise 
A  grateful  song,  in  solemn  lays ; 
His  goodness  through  creation  view, 
And  every  day  his  praise  renew. 


AN  ADDRESS  TO  ORTHODOXY.       181 

AN    ADDRESS    TO    ORTHODOXY. 

You  say,  before  the  world  began. 
God's  first  decree  respecting  man 

Doomed  more  than  half  to  endless  woe ; 
And  then  you  say,  that  this  decree 
Left  every  man  an  agent  free, 

For  bliss  above,  or  flames  below. 

Now,  to  be  saved,  all  that  we  need 
Is  to  believe  what  God  decreed, 

And  feel  submissive  to  our  fate  ; 
A  willingness  to  go  to  hell 
A  title  gives  in  heaven  to  dwell, 

In  that  most  perfect,  happy  state. 

Well,  be  it  so  ;   it  still  remains 
That  we  present  our  simple  claims 

That  you  this  creed  would  now  defend  ; 
To  us,  be  sure,  't  is  dark  indeed, 
Our  future  .state  should  be  decreed, 

And  yet  on  what  we  do,  depend. 

'T  is  difficult  for  us  to  know 

How  those,  whom  God  decreed  for  woe, 

By  faith  in  hell  should  heaven  gain. 
16 


182  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

Could  all  mankind  be  saved,  if  they 
Were  willing  to  be  damned  ?  now  say, 
And  try  this  problem  to  explain. 

Smooth  down  that  brow,  —  we  've  more  to  say ; 
With  circumspection  would  we  pray 

How  you  this  knowledge  did  obtain  ? 
We  've  searched  the  Scriptures  through,  but  find 
No  testimony  of  this  kind  ; 

But  the  reverse  from  them  we  gain. 

God  will  have  all  men  saved,  we  read ; 
You  say,  he  more  than  half  decreed 

To  death,  and  everlasting  pain. 
You  cross  yourself,  and,  what  is  worse, 
In  room  of  grace  hold  up  a  curse, 

And  death  and  hell's  eternal  reign. 


THE    UNITY    OF    THE    SPIRIT.  183 

THE    UNITY    OF    THE    SPIRIT. 

And  why  do  Christians  thus  contend 

For  items  in  their  creeds  ? 
An  enemy,  and  not  a  friend, 

Sows  these  contentious  seeds. 

'T  was  love  to  God  and  love  to  man, 
The  dear  Eedeemer  brought ; 

No  me ta physic  doctrine  can 
Compare  with  what  he  taught. 

Why  do  we  judge  each  other  so  ? 

This  judging  genders  strife  ; 
It  is  enough  our  Lord  to  know, 

And  feel  his  heavenly  life.     • 

What  if  my  brother  disagrees 

With  me  in  certain  things ; 
Yet  strives  by  works  of  love  to  please, 

And  fruit  abundant  brings  ? 

Shall  I  disown  a  brother  dear, 
For  whom  my  Saviour  died  ? 

Can  I  be  filled  with  gospel  fear, 
And  walk  in  all  this  pride  ? 


184  METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

O  may  we  learn  to  walk  in  love, 

In  charity  abound  ; 
Possess  those  tempers  of  the  dove, 

Which  rather  heal  than  wound. 


HYMN-. 


Lord,  may  thy  humble  servants  here 
Thy  words  regard  with  watchful  care 

And  with  affection  strong ; 
May  no  false  charm  cause  us  to  stray 
From  wisdom's  straight  and  narrow  way, 

Forbidden  paths  among. 

While  we  recount  thy  favors  o'er, 
And  contemplate  that  boundless  store 

Whence  all  our  comforts  flow, 
May  gratitude  to  thee  arise, 
While  every  sin  within  us  dies, 

And  each  internal  foe. 

Washed  by  thy  word  of  truth  from  sin, 
May  purity  be  found  within 

These  hearts  which  sin  beguiled  ; 


CALL   TO    TRUE    LIBERTY.  185 

And  0  !  thou  kindest  Friend  above, 
Preserve  us  by  thy  constant  love 
From  that  which  has  defiled. 

Through  all  our  future  days  may  we 
With  circumspection  worship  thee 

In  spirit  and  in  truth  ; 
And  when  decaying  nature  dies, 
Grant  us  a  mansion  in  the  skies, 

To  bloom  in  endless  youth. 


CALL    TO    TRUE    LIBERTY. 

Ye  heavy  ladened,  come,  repose, 
Forsake  your  burden  and  your  woes, 

And  enter  into  rest ; 
In  error's  night  why  will  you  roam, 
Like  wanderers  lost  and  far  from  home  ? 

To  grace  you  're  welcome  guests. 

Why  longer  will  you  peace  refuse, 
Sin's  servitude  and  bondage  choose, 
In  room  of  liberty  ? 
16* 


186  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

Hark  !  hear  the  voice  of  Jesus  cry, 
To  me,  ye  weary  souls,  draw  nigh, 
My  grace  shall  set  you  free. 

Vain,  haughty  souls,  my  meekness  learn  ; 
Humility  shall  soon  disarm 

The  tyrant  of  the  heart ; 
From  burdens  give  a  full  discharge, 
From  bondage  shall  the  soul  enlarge, 

And  peace  divine  impart. 

Burdens  are  light  imposed  by  me  ; 
My  service  is  true  liberty ; 

Freedom  my  laws  require  ; 
Come,  then,  my  easy  yoke  receive, 
My  laws  obey,  my  grace  believe ; 

The  fulness  of  desire. 


HYMN.  187 

HYMN. 

"  As  in  Adam  all  die,  even  so  in  Christ  shall  all  be  made 
alive." 

In  God's  eternity 

Shall  there  a  day  arise, 
When  all  that 's  born  of  men  shall  be 

With  Jesus  in  the  skies. 

As  night  before  the  rays 

Of  morning  flees  away, 
Sin  shall  retire  before  the  blaze 

Of  God's  eternal  day. 

As  music  fills  the  grove 

When  stormy  clouds  are  past, 

Sweet  anthems  of  redeeming  love 
Shall  all  employ  at  last. 

Kedeemed  from  death  and  sin, 
Shall  Adam's  numerous  race 

A  ceaseless  song  of  praise  begin, 
And  shout  redeeming  grace. 


188  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

NATIONAL    JUBILEE. 

In  lofty  strains  to  day  we  '11  raise 
To  our  Deliverer  songs  of  praise, 

Who  gave  our  nation  birth  ; 
'Mid  noise  of  war  and  strife  of  arms, 
When  terror  spread  his  dire  alarms, 

Which  shook  the  troubled  earth ; 

Who  condescended  from  his  throne 
To  listen  to  oppression's  groan, 

And  frowned  on  freedom's  foe ; 
Who,  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand, 
Preserved  fair  freedom's  hero  band, 

That  laid  the  tyrant  low. 

Firm  as  a  rock,  'mid  ocean's  waves, 

Our  freedom  stands,  nor  trembling,  braves 

Those  shocks  her  fall  conspire ; 
Her  million  sons  her  banners  spread, 
To  guard  her  young,  her  towering  head, 

With  patriotic  fire  ! 

Free  as  our  thousand  rivers  flow, 
Our  rising  sons  no  bondage  know, 
Illumed  by  science's  ray, 


NATIONAL   JUBILEE.  189 

In  wisdom  make  those  equal  laws 

A  firm  support  to  freedom's  cause, 

Which  rule  with  gentle  sway. 

Bright  as  the  sun  which  rules  the  day, 
Fair  Freedom's  realm  shall  send  a  ray 

To  every  distant  shore  ; 
Till  all  the  nations  of  the  earth 
Come  forth  to  heavenly  freedom's  birth, 

And  tyrants  know  no  more. 

And  may  thy  truth,  0  God  of  grace, 
Eedeem  from  sin  the  human  race, 

And  righteousness  increase ; 
Extend  the  kingdom  of  thy  Son, 
Far  as  the  ruling  planets  run, 

In  everlasting  peace. 


190  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

THOUGHTS 

SUGGESTED  BY  MISS  S.  C.  EDGARTON'S 
LINES  ON  "RUTH,"  IN  THE  ROSE  OF 
SHARON  FOR  1842. 

When  that  strain  began  to  flow, 
When  that  fire  began  to  glow, 
Fondly  I  desired  to  know 
Whereto  that  minstrel  would  go. 

In  the  distance,  there  my  eyes 
See  a  barley  field  arise, 
Ripe  beneath  the  sunny  skies, 
Where  the  reaper's  sickle  plies. 

Here  brown  labor  finds  its  gain 
In  the  sheaf  of  golden  grain  ; 
Beauty  gleaming  in  the  train 
Of  each  hardy,  youthful  swain. 

'Mong  the  blushing  maidens  fair, 
Gleans  the  modest  Kuth  with  care, 
While  her  kinsman  meets  her  there, 
Shows  her  favors  rich  and  rare. 


THOUGHTS.  191 

Now  the  strains  prophetic  grow ; 
An  illustrious  progeny  show ; 
Diadems  with  lustre  glow, 
Splendor  on  fair  Salem  throw. 

Poets,  too,  with  sacred  fire, 
String  and  tune  a  deathless  lyre  ; 
Hymns  seraphic,  rising  higher, 
Fill  my  longing  soul's  desire. 

Now  the  Prince  of  Peace  appears  ; 
Mourners  wipe  away  their  tears ; 
Mortals  lose  their  boding  fears 
As  salvation  swiftly  nears. 

Singer,  never  cease  to  sing ; 
Strains  like  thine  sweet  comforts  bring ; 
Summer,  autumn,  winter,  spring, 
Singer,  never  cease  to  sing. 


192  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

"FOR   A   BLESSING    IS    IN   IT." 

Isaiah  Ixv.  8. 

Hath  conscience  told  thee,  brother  man, 
That  wrong  hath  been  thy  doing ; 

And  that  thou  'It  find  destruction  in 
The  path  thou  art  pursuing  ? 

And  hath  repentance  been  proposed, 

And  an  entire  forsaking 
Of  every  sinful  purpose  formed? 

Come,  then,  be  undertaking 

So  good  a  work.     For  conscience  sake, 

Delay  the  thing  no  longer ; 
The  holy  resolution  take 

Before  thy  bonds  grow  stronger. 

Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Return  to  me ; 

Return,  and  be  forgiven  ; 
For  though  thou  art  of  earth  most  vile, 

And  I  the  God  of  heaven, — 

My  mercy  thou  shalt  find  most  free, 
And  pardon  overflowing ; 


DIVINE    GOODNESS.  193 

My  love  is  broader  than  the  sea, 
And  ever  is  unfolding. 

This  work,  I  tell  thee,  brother  man, 

Delay  not  to  begin  it ; 
And  when  thou  hast  this  duty  done, 

A  blessing  will  be  in  it. 


DIVINE    GOODNESS. 

Wherever  visit  the  rays  of  the  sun, 
Rich  treasures  of  goodness  attend  them ; 

And  all  the  brooks  and  rivers  that  run 
Both  widely  convey  and  defend  them. 

Wherever  flow  the  tides  of  the  sea 
Are  favors  abundantly  given  ; 

And  all  mankind,  whether  bond  or  free, 
Enjoy  the  rich  blessings  of  Heaven. 

Wherever  blows  a  wind  or  a  breeze, 

Rich  mercies  are  widely  extended ; 

In  flowery  grass  and  waving  trees 

Both  beauty  and  favor  are  blended. 
17 


194  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

Wherever  we  go,  by  sea  or  land, 
The  mercies  of  Heaven  sustain  us ; 

If  terrors  arise,  and  threatening  stand, 
The  arm  that 's  Almighty  defends  us. 

And  every  precious  moment  of  time 
Bears  witness  to  goodness  unfailing, 

Which,  as  we  are  taught  by  hope  divine, 
Shall  remain  forever  prevailing. 


A    CHARITY    HYMN. 

Come,  taste  the  fruits  which  kindness  yields ; 

A  bliss  so  rich,  so  rare ; 
No  spices  of  Arabian  fields 

So  well  repay  your  care. 

Come,  grant  to  suffering  need  a  part 

Of  your  abundant  store, 
And  pour  a  balsam  in  the  heart 

Of  the  distressed  and  poor. 

Where  cold  and  hunger  both  distress 
The  cheerless  chiTd  of  want, 


TEARS    OF    A    MOTHER. 


195 


There  Charity  delights  to  bless, 
And  joys  relief  to  grant. 

Where  modest  worth  in  sorrow  bleeds, 
And  tastes  her  woes  alone, 

Go,  Charity,  see  what  she  needs, 
And  kindly  grant  the  boon. 

So  shall  our  heavenly  Father's  love 

Its  sweetest  fruits  impart, 
Each  deed  of  charity  approve, 

And  bless  each  liberal  heart. 


TEARS    OF    A    MOTHER. 

The  following  lines  were  prompted  by  the  tears  which  I 
saw  a  mother  shed  for  the  loss  of  her  son  in  a  storm  at  sea. 

The  Father  of  our  spirits  rode 
Amidst  that  dire  commotion, 

When  stormy  winds  and  troubled  flood 
Raised  fearful  expectation ; 

And  when  all  hope  of  life  had  fled, 

When  strength  and  hearts  had  yielded, 


196  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

He  made  the  waves  a  peaceful  bed, 
For  now  His  mercy  shielded. 

Where  stormy  winds  can  rage  no  more, 
With  angry  waves  combining, 

His  peaceful  soul  shall  there  explore 
Bright  sunshine  ever  smiling. 

From  his  full  cup  could  he  impart 
One  drop  of  sacred  pleasure, 

Eased  of  its  pain,  thy  peaceful  heart 
Would  store  the  golden  treasure. 

Or  could  you  know  the  last  adieu, 
When  sinking  in  the  ocean, 

The  dying  son  addressed  to  you, 
And  taste  his  pure  devotion  ; 

Those  tears  of  grief  should  soon  give  place 

To  those  of  gratulation ; 
And  sorrow's  heart  should  drink  the  peace 

Of  sweetest  consolation. 


ODE  FOR  THE  FOURTH  OF  JULY.      197 

ODE  FOR  THE  FOURTH  OF  JULY. 

Arise,  and  hail  the  Jubilee,    • 
The  day  that  set  our  nation  free ; 
In  songs  His  honor  chant,  who  gave 
Counsel  and  victory  to  the  brave. 

That  haughty  power,  which  dared  invade 
Our  independence,  God  has  made 
Submissive  to  our  rights  ;  while  we 
Maintain  our  laws  and  liberty. 

He,  who  crushed  proud  Pharaoh's  band, 
Again  has  triumphed  in  our  land ; 
The  arm  which  did  the  sea  divide, 
Restrained  for  us  a  tyrant's  pride. 

Let  joy,  throughout  our  land,  inspire 
Each  manly  heart  with  holy  fire ; 
And  freedom's  song,  by  Miriam  sung, 
Be  heard  from  every  female  tongue. 

Ye  daughters  fair,  fresh  garlands  weave  ; 

With  chaplets  strew  the  warrior's  grave ; 

So  from  the  mouldering  sod  shall  rise 

Fame's  sweetest  incense  to  the  skies. 
17* 


198  METRICAL   COMrOSITIONS. 

Fifty  bright  summer  suns  have  smiled, 
And  fifty  harvest  moons  beguiled 
Childhood  and  youth,  since  vernal  showers 
First  moistened  freedom's  lovely  flowers. 

Across  the  sea,  to  other  climes, 

Thy  fame,  America,  extends ; 

And  soon  may  Greece  thy  triumphs  share, 

And  freedom's  brightest  laurels  wear. 

Peru's  bold  sons  have  heard  thy  fame, 
And  Mexico  has  caught  the  flame ; 
From  north  to  south  the  land  is  free, 
And  man  enjoys  a  Jubilee. 


SUPPLICATION. 

Maker  of  worlds,  thy  works  declare 
Thy  wisdom  and  thy  power ; 

Sustained  by  thy  protecting  care, 
Do  thee  all  worlds  adore. 

Through  vast  infinitude  extends 
Thy  wise,  resistless  sway  ; 

And  on  that  goodness  all  depends, 
Which  never  knows  decay. 


SUPPLICATION.  199 

Father  of  man,  thy  child  inspire 

To  know  the  One  Supreme ; 
And  satisfy  the  vast  desire 

Which  from  thy  spirit  came. 

From  error's  dreams  of  wild  affright 

Despairing  minds  redeem; 
And,  by  thy  everlasting  light, 

May  truth  divine  be  seen. 

Unveil  thy  lovely  face,  that  we, 

Who  here  despairing  mourn. 
May  catch  a  glimpse,  O  God,  of  thee, 

And  to  thy  love  return. 

Plant  in  our  hearts  that  holy  seed, 

And  bless  the  shoot  divine, 
Whose  fruit  the  hungry  soul  shall  feed, 

And  yield  a  generous  wine. 

Then  every  power  by  us  possessed, 

Submissive  to  thy  will, 
Shall,  by  thy  favor,  Lord,  be  blessed, 

And  in  thy  spirit  dwell. 


200  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

PENITENCE. 

Not  to  thy  throne  I  raise  my  eyes, 
Nor  there  stretch  forth  my  hand  ; 

But,  with  these  guilty  tears  and  sighs, 
Low  in  the  dust  I  bend. 

My  smitten  breast,  with  sorrow's  throe, 
Compels  my  tongue  in  prayer ; 

On  me,  a  sinner,  Lord,  bestow 
Thy  mercy's  tender  care. 

No  rites  performed,  nor  sacrifice, 
Before  thee,  Lord,  I  plead ; 

A  broken  heart  and  weeping  eyes 
The  favors  ask  I  need. 

And  thou  canst  see  what  lurks  within 
This  vile,  deceptive  heart ; 

And  with  the  antidote  of  sin 
The  virus  bid  depart. 


THE    DYING    PENITENT.  201 

THE    DYING    PENITENT. 

My  sunny  days  of  youth  are  past ; 

I  've  sinned  their  hours  away ; 
On  all  my  hopes  has  come  a  blast, 

And  filled  me  with  dismay. 

The  wise  advice,  and  counsels  grave, 

By  kindest  parents  given, 
From  ways  of  vice  a  son  to  save, 

With  me  have  vainly  striven. 

0  could  I  have  those  hours  again ! 
But  that  can  never  be ; 

1  would  not  waste  them  thus  in  sin, 

But  from  it  strive  to  flee. 

Say,  you  who  love  the  ways  of  truth 

Who  taste  a  Saviour's  grace, 
Can  he  regard  so  vile  a  youth 

With  favor  in  his  face  ? 

If  tears  which  sinful  Mary  shed 

Were  jewels  in  his  eyes, 
Those  flowing  forth  on  this  sick  bed 

Will  he,  think  you,  despise  ? 


202  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

You  who  can  pray,  0  pray  for  one 
Whose  dying  hour  is  near ; 

That,  while  the  sands  of  life  may  run, 
Salvation  may  appear. 


THE    GOSPEL    COVENANT    FUL 
FILLED. 

To  sing  the  covenant  of  our  God, 

Let  joyful  voices  join  ; 
His  truth  from  ages  past  hath  stood, 

An  everlasting  sign, 

The  promised  grace,  confirmed  by  oath, 

Was  in  Messiah  given, 
That  all  the  nation's  of  the  earth, 

And  kindreds  under  heaven, 

Should  in  the  great  Redeemer  find, 

A  sure  and  lasting  rest, 
And  that  the  fulness  of  mankind 

Should  be  forever  blest. 

In  louder  strains  let  God  be  praised, 
Who  hath  fulfilled  his  word, 


THE    PEACE    OF    CHRIST.  203 

In  him  whom  from  the  dead  he  raised, 
Our  Saviour  and  our  Lord. 

Let  faith,  with  strengthened  eyes,  behold 

A  blest  reversion  sure ; 
And  with  transporting  joy  lay  hold, 

And  steadfastly  endure. 


THE    PEACE    OF    CHRIST. 

Peace  I  leave  with  you,  my  peace  I  give  unto  you."  —  Jesus. 

When  fortune  adverse  gathers  round, 

And  dreary  prospects  rise ; 
May,  by  this  fainting  heart,  be  found 

That  peace  thy  love  supplies. 

Should  raging  elements  of  strife 

In  wild  confusion  rise, 
And  overwhelm  the  joys  of  life, 

Yet  may  my  steadfast  eyes 

Look  far  beyond  all  mortal  woe, 

To  that  unclouded  sphere, 
Where  peaceful  rivers  gently  flow, 

Without  one  falling  tear. 


204  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

Of  friends  bereft,  a  child  of  scorn, 
Reproach  attendant  too, 

I  shall  not  mourn  myself  forlorn, 
Finding  thy  promise  true. 

Disease  may  waste  my  vital  powers, 
And  earthly  comforts  flee ; 

Yet  I  am  blest,  if  still  endures 
That  peace  I  find  in  thee. 


PRAYER  FOR  DIVINE  ASSISTANCE. 

My  crimes,  dear  Saviour,  pain  me  still, 
Guilt  hovers  round  my  heart ; 

Physician  kind,  thy  word  fulfil, 
And  bid  these  pains  depart. 

Still  deeper  probe  these  rank'rous  wounds ; 

The  poison  lurks  within ; 
The  virus  through  the  soul  abounds, 

The  venom  of  my  sin. 

Rebellious  flesh  its  pride  sustains, 

And  carnal  mind  prevails  ; 
A  will  perverse  its  hold  maintains, 

And  oft  my  courage  fails. 


MENTAL   DARKNESS.  205 

Lend,  lend  thy  aid ;  and  give  to  faith 
A  conquering  sword  to  wield ; 

Nor  e'er  return  it  to  the  sheath 
Till  mercy  wins  the  field. 

Then,  all  resigned  to  thee,  this  heart 
Shall  witness  forth  thy  grace ; 

And  sin,  with  every  poison  dart, 
Retire  before  thy  face. 

So  shall  I  live  to  thee,  my  Lord, 

And  feast  upon  thy  love  ; 
Still,  guided  by  thy  holy  word, 

Shall  reach  thy  courts  above. 


SORROWING    FOR    MENTAL 
DARKNESS. 

0  truth  divine  !  how  sad  the  gloom 
Thy  absence  brings  on  me ! 

In  pensive  solitude  I  mourn, 
Till  thy  return  I  see. 

On  willows  long  my  harp  has  hung, 
Sweet  sounds  have  died  away, 
18 


206  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

And  all  around  is  darkness  flung, 
That  fills  me  with  dismay. 

The  dove,  that  mourns  her  absent  mate, 
And  flies  from  spray  to  spray ; 

Reminds  me  of  my  hapless  state, 
When  thou  art  far  away. 

Have  wicked  thoughts  caused  thy  remove, 

And  hid  thy  smiling  face  ? 
Then,  O  return !  these  thoughts  reprove 

By  thy  resistless  grace. 

How  can  this  heart  endure  the  pain 
Which  thou  hast  left  behind  ? 

Return,  0  truth,  and  smile  again 
On  this  deserted  mind. 

Yes,  kindly  come,  thy  light  impart, 
And  chase  this  gloom  away ; 

Purge  every  recess  of  my  heart, 
And  guide  me  in  thy  way. 


THE    CARRIER'S    ADDRESS.  207 

THE    CARRIER'S    ADDRESS 

TO     THE     PATRONS     OF     THE     UNIVERSAIIST 
MAGAZINE,     JANUARY     1,    1S26. 

I  heartily  wish  you  a  happy  New  Year, 
Kind  patrons,  with  health  and  abundance  of  cheer : 
Superstition,  't  is  true,  may  scowl  up  her  face, 
And  say,  if  you  're  happy,  you  're  void  of  all  grace  ! 
But  wisdom,  as  old  as  the  Bible,  will  prove 
The  sinner  forgiven  is  cheerful  in  love  !^ 

The  year  that  is  gone  was  propitious  and  kind ; 
Health,  peace,  and  abundance  have  all  been  com- 
bined ; 
The  fruits  of  the  summer  and  autumn  were  good, 
And  call  on  us  all  to  be  grateful  to  God. 

But  some  of  you  mourn  the  sweet  friends  who 

have  gone, 
And  left  your  fair  dwellings  no  more  to  return ; 
But  why  should  we  sorrow  for  those  who  are  blest, 
Whose  troubles  are  over,  whose  souls  are  at  rest  ? 

May  the  year  that  is  coming  with  goodness  abound ; 
With  health,  peace,  and  plenty,  its  seasons  be 
crowned ; 

*  Matt.  ix.  2. 


208  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

The  seas  and  the  rivers  all  gratefully  flow, 
Your  riches  to  bring  with  each  wind  that  shall  blow. 

The  paper  I  bring  you  still  lives  to  contend 
For  faith  once  delivered,  and  it  to  defend ; 
No  weapons  of  wrath  in  its  arsenals  found, 
But  arrows  of  truth  which  its  foes  deeply  wound, 
Causing  error  to  yield,  as  night  to  the  day ; 
Truth  and  Peace  take  the  field,  and  strife  dies 
away. 

Of  harlots  the  mother,  her  doxies  still  try 
To  freshen  her  beauty ;  nor  seldom  do  lie 
To  make  out  the  story  of  devil  and  hell; 
That  millions  and  millions  forever  must  dwell 
In  woful  despair  of  all  that  is  good, 
To  the  joy  of  the  saints  and  the  glory  of  God. 

Such  joy  and  such  glory  black  demons  might  love, 
Were  such  in  existence,  below  or  above ; 
But  angels  in  heaven  rejoice  when  they  know 
That  grace  is  extended  to  sinners  below. 

Like  the  dove  scarcely  fledged,  when  tender  and 

young, 
The  Magazine  stood  all  the  vultures  among ; 


THE  CARRIER'S  ADDRESS.         209 

The  lightning  of  wrath  flashed  forth  from  their 

eyes, 
And  death  with  its  terrors  was  heard  in  their 

cries. 

The  prey  was  so  small  and  their  talons  so  large, 
The  hope  was  but  faint  the  young  dove  to  dis- 
charge ; 
But  the  vulturous  birds  fed  one  on  the  other, 
While  the  dove  gained  her  wings  all  covered  with 
feather. 

As  an  omen  of  peace  she  flits  in  the  air ; 
On  the  pinions  of  hope  she  drives  off  despair  ; 
Delighting  in  nothing  but  that  which  is  good, 
She  nurses  her  young  on  the  altar  of  God. 

In  the  north  and  the  south,  the  east  and  the  west, 
The  regions  of  darkness  with  lights  are  now  blest ; 
The  voice  of  the  turtle  is  heard  through  the  land, 
And  laborers  faithful  are  joined  hand  in  hand ; 
As  reapers,  go  forth  to  the  harvest  of  truth, 
And  honor  the  Saviour  with  dews  of  his  youth.*1 

*  Psalm  ex.  3. 

18* 


210  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

HYMN. 

Various  systems  men  have  formed, 
In  days  of  old,  and  modern  times ; 

Religion  by  their  arts  adorned, 
In  many  lands  and  many  climes. 

Turn  ye  the  page  of  history  o'er  ; 

Learn  all  the  wisdom  of  the  world ; 
Their  present  creeds,  and  those  before, 

Are  all  in  endless  error  hurled. 

To  bound  the  God  of  boundless  grace 
Has  been  the  aim  of  Pharisees  ; 

Arm  God  against  the  human  race, 
Measure  and  fix  his  firm  decrees. 

Mad  millions,  in  a  proud  pretence 
Of  holy  worship,  heavenly  zeal, 

Their  neighbors  burned  in  its  defence  ; 
Nor  for  their  sufferings  could  they  feel. 

In  gods  of  vile,  despotic  reign, 

Vile  kings  and  despots  would  believe ; 

Who  could  delight  in  endless  pain, 
Nor  feel  compassion  to  relieve. 


HYMN.  211 

Thus  cruel  kings  and  priests  were  joined, 
And  formed  the  awful  league  abhorred ; 

With  edicts  chained  the  human  mind, 
And  shut  the  kingdom  of  the  Lord. 

But,  thanks  to  God  !  our  eyes  behold 
A  light  far  brighter  than  the  sun ; 

A  day  the  prophets  long  foretold, 
Of  which  the  ancient  poets  sung. 

His  boundless  grace  doth  God  reveal 
In  Christ,  the  Head  of  every  man ; 

His  grace  shall  all  the  nations  heal ; 
This  is  the  gospel's  glorious  plan. 


"  But  seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  his  righteous- 
ness ;  and  all  these  things  shall  be  added  unto  you." — Matt. 
vi.  33. 

Of  all  the  objects  men  pursue, 

One  far  above  the  rest  is  prized  — 

More  worthy  is,  in  wisdom's  view, 
Than  all  the  earth  or  world  beside. 

And  this,  before  all  other  things, 
Is  recommended  to  our  care  ; 


212  METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

Because  this  vast  attainment  brings 
All  other  blessings,  rich  and  rare. 

Nor  is  this  treasure  placed  so  high, 
The  learned  only  it  can  find ; 

It  is  to  all  conditions  nigh, 

The  rich,  the  poor,  the  unrefined. 

To  Heaven's  power  and  righteousness, 
Whoever,  humbly,  is  resigned, 

Doth  in  his  treasures  vast  possess 

All  that  hath  power  to  bless  mankind. 


SABBATH     MORNING. 

My  soul,  is  this  a  Sabbath  morn  ? 

The  day  on  which  from  death  was  born 

The  Saviour  of  mankind  ? 
Like  Mary,  early  as  the  dawn, 
My  heart  shall  seek  him  who  was  born 

From  death.     0  may  I  find  ! 

His  gracious  voice  shall  cheer  my  heart, 
His  love  a  balsam  shall  impart 
To  every  wound  I  feel ; 


SABBATH    MORNLXG.  213 

His  word  is  light,  't  is  grace  and  peace ; 
O  may  it  through  the  day  increase, 
And  hidden  things  reveal ! 


May  millions,  on  this  happy  day, 
Rejoice  in  Him  who  is  the  way, 

Who  is  the  truth  and  life  ; 
And  may  the  great  salvation  shine, 
Through  Jesus,  who  is  all  divine, 

The  end  of  sin  and  strife. 

O  shall  we,  on  this  joyful  day, 
Slumber  the  precious  morn  away, 

Nor  think  of  Him  who  rose  ; 
Who  found  the  way  from  death  to  heaven, 
Eternal  life  to  man  hath  given, 

And  joys  which  never  close  ? 


214  METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

THE    SUN   OF   RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

Why  did  the  Lord  of  light  and  life 
Sojourn  in  this  dark  world  of  sin, 

Where  earthly  wisdom,  wrath,  and  strife, 
Aimed  all  their  deadly  shafts  at  him  ? 

Why  should  the  innocent  and  pure 
His  bosom  bare  to  malice  vile, 

And  dying  agonies  endure, 

While  mocked  by  scoffers  full  of  guile  ? 

'T  was  so  ordained  by  love  divine, 
That  there  might  be  on  earth  a  light ; 

A  Sun  of  Righteousness  to  shine, 

Where  all  was  darkness,  all  was  night ; 

That  nations,  which  in  darkness  lay, 
Thereby  deliverance  might  find ; 

And  walk  in  wisdom's  heavenly  way, 
From  the  vile  dross  of  sin  refined. 

How  gloomy  would  this  world  now  be, 
Should  that  bright,  glorious  star  remove, 

And  pagan  darkness,  like  a  sea, 
O'er  all  the  earth  victorious  prove  ! 


CHRISTMAS    HYMN.  215 

O  may  this  star  forever  shine, 
And  people  everywhere  behold 

Its  fadeless  brightness,  all  divine, 
Whose  blessings  never  can  be  told. 


CHRISTMAS    HYMN. 

Let  all  the  powers  of  music  join  — 

In  one  exalted  chorus  raise 
Loud  anthems  to  the  theme  divine, 

And  fill  all  heaven  and  earth  with  praise. 

To  us  is  born  a  Son  to  reign 

High  on  a  throne  of  grace  divine, 

And  universal  empire  gain, 

Through  every  land  and  every  clime. 

The  banners  of  his  grace,  unfurled, 
Shall  lead  to  victory  and  peace ; 

Shall  raise  from  death  a  sinking  world  ; 
Nor  shall  his  spreading  glory  cease. 

A  flood  of  light  his  path  illumes, 
And  enters  every  dark  recess  ; 


216  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

An  all-devouring  flame  consumes, 

And  makes  each  foe  his  power  confess. 

In  council  wonderful  and  wise, 

All  human  wisdom  shall  confound  ; 

While  death  itself  before  him  dies, 
And  life,  and  joy,  and  peace  abound. 

An  everlasting  Father  kind, 

The  world  shall  own  his  matchless  grace, 
And  every  child  of  sorrow  find 

The  favor  of  his  radiant  face. 

A  mighty  God,  the  Prince  of  Peace, 

Thrones,  powers,  dominions  to  him  bend, 

And  groaning  prisoners  find  release ; 
Rebellion  now  shall  have  an  end. 

Let  all  the  powers  below,  above, 
In  one  harmonious  anthem  raise 

The  honors  of  the  God  of  love, 
And  fill  the  universe  with  praise. 


PRAISE    THE    KING    OF    ZION.  217 

PRAISE    THE    KING    OF    ZION. 

In  matins  and  in  vespers  sing 

The  praises  of  the  Lord  ; 
And  worship  give  to  Zion's  King, 

And  all  his  deeds  record. 

From  shining  heights  of  glory  bright, 

He  viewed  our  dark  abode ; 
And,  on  a  car  of  dazzling  light, 

Down  to  its  mansion  rode. 

He  cast  around  his  loving  eyes 

On  sinful  man's  estate, 
And  felt  a  warm  compassion  rise,  — 

Compassion  vastly  great. 

Down-crushed,  beneath  the  tyrant  Sin, 

Humanity  lay  low ; 
For  ages  had  all  nations  been 

In  darkness,  guilt,  and  woe. 

An  arm  of  strength  he  lifted  high, 

And  aimed  a  deadly  blow  ; 
O,  then,  did  hell's  grim  tyrant  die, 

Then  felt  his  overthrow  ! 
19 


2 IS  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

Tidings  of  victory  we  sing, 
And  laud  the  victor's  praise  ; 

With  laurels  crown  fair  Zion's  King, 
Who  reigns  through  countless  days. 


THE    CARRIER'S     ADDRESS, 

TO  THE  PATRONS  OF  THE  UNIVERSALIST  MAGAZINE. 

Kind  patrons,  while  others  present  their  address, 
And  your  favors  enjoy,  say,  can  you  do  less 
Than  give  a  blessing,  or  something  to  cheer 
Him  who  wishes  you  a  happy  new  year  ? 

Who  wishes  your  friends  may  prove  faithful  and 

true  ; 
Your  debtors  soon  pay  every  cent  that 's  your  due ; 
No  losses  betide  you,  by  land  or  by  sea ; 
No  sickness  to  pay  for,  no  lawyer  to  fee  ? 

Your  traffic  and  trade,  may  they  thrive  in  your 

hands ; 
Your  income  increase  from  your  houses  and  lands ; 
May  Heaven,  from  fire,  defend  all  your  store, 
And  grant  you  the  blessing  to  favor  the  poor. 


THE  CARRIER'S  ADDRESS.         219 

Have  you  erred  the  last  year  ?  —  may  that  be  for- 
given ; 
The  eye  that  was  dark  see  the  glory  of  heaven ; 
A  wrong  was  there  done  to  foe  or  to  friend  ? 
0  repaired  be  that  wrong,  before  this  shall  end  ! 

Since  he  that  salutes  you,  your  paper  has  brought, 
Great  favors  our  merciful  Father  has  wrought ; 
A  luxuriant  summer,  a  ripening  fall, 
And  thousands  of  blessings  for  gratitude  call. 

But  the  time  of  sweet  flowers  and  fruits  is  now 

past ; 
The  snow,  and  the  sleet,  and  the  cold  chilling 

blast, 
Unsparingly  fall  on  the  boy  as  he  comes 
To  bring  you  a  blessing  to  cheer  your  sweet  homes ; 

To  fill  you  with  love,  and  relieve  you  from  fear; 
To  give  you  the  truth  which  is  simple  and  clear; 
From  the  regions  of  error  directing  your  eyes 
To  Him,  who  is  merciful,  gracious,  and  wise. 

We  have  to  regret  that  our  labors  are  small ; 
Far,  very  far  short  of  our  wishes  they  fall  ; 


220  METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

But  what  we  have  lacked  in  human  invention, 
We  hoped  to  supply  with  honest  intention. 

While  some,  out  of  zeal,  like  a  Saul  full  of  ire, 
A  few  of  our  numbers  have  put  in  the  fire, 
Some  hundreds  of  others  rejoice  that  they  see 
That  life  and  salvation  to  all  men  are  free. 

For  gratitude,  reasons  cannot  he  denied  ; 

We  've  lived  in  good  health,  while  our  neighbors 

have  died ; 
Yet  mourn  for  the  one  with  a  name^  hard  and 

long, 
We  never  shall  do,  for  the  thing  would  be  wrong. 

In  room  of  the  Christian,  he  acted  the  elf; 
Remurdered  poor  Judas,  who  murdered  himself : 
He  stole  from  a  thief,  near  the  confines  of  heaven, 
A  pardon,  which  mercy  through  Jesus  had  given. 

But  let  us  remember,  imperfect  are  all, 

And  while  thinking  we  stand,  take  heed  lest  we 

fall; 
That  our  errors  and  faults  may  all  be  forgiven, 
We'll  pray  that  our  foes  may  find  mercy  and 

heaven. 

*  Kaleidoscope. 


ladies'  dress.  221 

LADIES'    DRESS. 

The  following  lines  were  written  and  put  into  the  hands  of  a 
lady,  too  slightly  protected  from  the  inclemency  of  the  sea- 
son, just  as  she  was  stepping  into  her  carriage  to  attend 
a  public  dance. 

How  many  dresses  ladies  wear, 
In  all  of  which  pride  has  a  share  ! 
The  morning  dishabille  appears, 
And  answers  well  for  household  cares : 
But  more  complete  and  full  attire 
Their  walks  and  afternoons  require  ; 
To  worship  the  great  God  of  heaven, 
More  richly  dressed  one  day  in  seven; 
But  when  in  parties  they  appear, 
A  finer  dress  they  choose  to  wear ; 
And  when  to  ball-rooms  they  advance, 
And  join  the  lively,  giddy  dance. 
More  gaudy  dress  becomes  the  scene, 
Where  sashes  wave  and  spangles  gleam. 
But  soon  the  sprightly  hours  are  past, 
For  pleasures  cannot  always  last ; 
A  cold  ensues,  and  sickness  comes, 
Disorder  seats  upon  the  lungs ; 
19* 


222 


METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

A  chamber  dress  is  now  put  on, 
Nor  changed  at  morn  or  evening  sun. 
But  mortal  sickness  soon  is  o'er,  — 
The  lady  needs  but  one  dress  more. 


THE    FRUIT    OF    THE    SPIRIT. 

How  sweet  the  fruit  the  Spirit  yields  ! 

How  lasting  and  how  fair  ! 
No  spices  of  Arabian  fields 

Can  with  this  fruit  compare. 

Love  grows  on  branches  bending  low ; 

Joy  tips  each  lofty  spray ; 
Peace  all  around,  above,  below, 

Its  spicy  sweets  convey. 

Long-suffering  grows  and  ripens  here, 

A  cure  for  every  grief; 
And  Gentleness,  forbidding  fear, 

Is  plucked  from  every  leaf. 

Goodness  in  many  a  cluster  shoots, 
And  Faith  is  green  and  fair ; 

While  Meekness,  hid  'mong  other  fruits, 
Invites  her  favorites  there. 


GOD    IS    LOVE.  223 

Here  Temperance  grows,  a  virtue  bright, 

And  well  prepares  the  feast ; 
Here,  O  my  soul,  take  thy  delight, 

Of  all  the  guests  the  least. 


GOD    IS    LOVE. 

If  God  be  love,  what  angel's  mind 
A  thousandth  of  his  grace  can  scan  ? 

Or  who  by  searching  e'er  can  find 
The  limits  of  that  grace  to  man  ? 

Presumptuous  thought !  to  bound  that  love 
Which  the  whole  universe  combines ; 

Fills  earth  below  and  heaven  above, 
And  lives  in  infinite  designs. 

Bewildered  souls,  in  error's  night, 
Presume  to  circumscribe  this  grace ; 

And  from  their  vision  bar  the  light, 
Which  shines  in  our  Redeemer's  face. 

If  God  be  love,  his  wisdom  then 

Has  laid  no  scheme  of  wrath  unkind  ; 


224  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

Nor  will  his  power  dispense  on  man 
Aught  but  his  favors  well  refined. 

If  God  be  love,  his  chastening  hand 
No  more  inflicts  than  what  he  sees 

Our  sin-distempered  hearts  may  mend, 
And  tend  to  give  our  conscience  ease. 

If  God  be  love,  then  all  we  see 

Of  his  vast  works,  the  same  makes  known. 
Sun,  moon,  and  earth,  with  every  tree, 

Declare  the  goodness  of  his  throne. 

The  months,  that  measure  round  the  year, 
The  winter's  cold  and  summer's  ray, 

All  testify  his  guardian  care, 
And  his  unfainting  love  display. 

Yes,  God  is  love  ;  for  the  sweet  flowers, 
Which  strew  the  bosom  of  the  spring, 

Dear  children  of  the  softening  showers. 
And  birds  of  every  plume  that  sing, 

Declare  Him  love  ;  and  chide  us  too, 
Who  doubt  the  goodness  they  proclaim. 

Forever  shall  the  song  be  new, 

That  God  is  love,  and  will  remain. 


THE    SUN    OF    RIGHTEOUSNESS.  225 

THE    SUN    OF    RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

How  bright  that  sun  that  makes  our  day  ! 
How  powerful  is  each  quickening  ray  ! 
To  distant  lands  and  worlds  unknown 
His  life-creating  beams  have  flown. 

The  light  of  Christ  is  brighter  far  ; 
Compared  with  him,  the  sun  's  a  star; 
More  brilliant  are  his  rays  divine, 
And  with  a  clearer  lustre  shine. 

More  dark  the  regions  of  the  soul 
By  Christ  illumed,  than  the  north  pole, 
When  Sol's  bright  face  is  turned  away, 
And  night  and  cold  succeed  the  day. 

And  colder  too  are  our  dead  hearts, 
Till  he  his  warming  beams  imparts  ; 
When  into  love  the  passions  flow, 
Like  limpid  streams  from  ice  and  snow. 

Nor  more  impartial  is  the  sun 
To  planets  which  around  him  turn, 
Than  Christ,  whose  universal  love 
Fills  earth  below,  and  heaven  above. 


226  METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

See  earth,  discharged  from  winter's  cold, 
Soft  zephyrs  breathe,  and  buds  unfold  ; 
The  fields  and  meadows  dressed  in  green, 
Sweet  birds  are  heard  and  flowers  seen. 

But  greater  freedom  do  we  find 
When  Christ  unbars  the  imprisoned  mind ; 
And  softer  graces  breathe  within, 
When  grace  subdues  the  power  of  sin. 

And  more  melodious  songs  are  sung, 
And  sweeter  graces  too,  among 
The  converts  to  the  gospel  theme, 
Than  lilies  in  the  valleys  green. 


THE    POWER    OF    DARKNESS. 

When  the  blest  light  of  day  declines, 
And  night  with  murky  clouds  combines, 
The  pilgrim  oft  his  way  mistakes  ;  — 
For  the  wrong  road  the  right  forsakes. 

The  toils  of  error  now  come  on, 
The  pilgrim's  hope  of  rest  is  gone  ; 
Briers  and  thorns  infest  the  ground, 
And  beasts  of  prey  are  howling  round. 


METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS.  227 

Grim  spectres  gleam  before  his  eyes  ; 
Despairing  thoughts  within  him  rise  ; 
His  useless  eye-balls  start  and  glare, 
And  fancy  sees  destruction  there. 

An  ignis-fatuus  in  the  glen 
To  the  lone  wanderer  proves  a  gin ; 
He  follows  the  deceptive  fire, 
And  helpless  sinks  in  fatal  mire. 

But  superstition's  darker  gloom 
Has  caused  our  wandering  hearts  to  roam 
Far  from  the  light  of  truth  divine, 
Where  love  and  grace  forever  shine. 

And  more  severe  the  toils  we  find, 
Far  more  distressed  the  fearful  mind ; 
And  ranker  grow  the  briers  of  grief, 
The  thorns  of  strife  and  unbelief; 

And  far  more  horrid  is  the  yell 
That  stuns  our  ears  with  death  and  hell ; 
More  frightful  spectres  too  are  seen 
In  error's  wild,  disordered  dream  ; 


228  sabbath's  entertainment. 

And  more  deceptive  is  the  fire 
Which  false  religious  views  inspire ; 
And  deeper  mire  is  in  the  glen 
Of  error,  unbelief,  and  sin. 


A    SABBATH'S   ENTERTAINMENT. 

Hark  !  hark !  the  bells  ring ;  't  is  the  Sabbath  of    ' 

rest ; 
The  lovers  of  Jesus  to-day  shall  be  blest ; 
And  Zion's  bright  glory  shall  make  a  display, 
For  we  '11  be  united,  dear  Christians,  to-day. 

Come  away  to  the  house  where  anthems  are  sung, 
Where  praises  of  Jesus  employ  every  tongue  ; 
The  word  of  salvation  shall  make  a  display, 
And  we'll  be  united,  dear  Christians,  to-day. 

Come  fathers,  and  mothers,  come  daughters,  and 

sons, 
To  meet  us  the  light  of  salvation  now  comes; 
Bright  smiles  of  the  Saviour  shall  make  a  display, 
And  we  '11  be  united,  dear  Christians,  to-day. 


METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS.  229 

No  dread  shall  afflict  us,  nor  sorrow  come  near ; 
From  doubts  and  from  darkness  our  souls  shall 

be  clear; 
For  pardoning  mercy  shall  make  a  display, 
And  we  '11  be  united,  dear  Christians,  to-day. 

All  the  foes  of  the  cross  no  obtrusion  shall  make  ; 
By  praying  and  singing  their  force  we  will  break ; 
For  faith  in  the  Saviour  shall  make  a  display, 
And  we  '11  be  united,  dear  Christians,  to-day. 

Call,  call  on  the  Lord,  for  his  mercy  is  free ; 
In  saving  of  sinners,  his  justice  we  see  ; 
Extensive  salvation  shall  make  a  display, 
And  we  '11  be  united,  dear  Christians,  to-day. 

The  name  of  the  Saviour  all  hearts  shall  combine ; 
'T  is  sweeter  than  honey,  't  is  better  than  wine ; 
Each  heart  of  devotion  his  love  shall  display, 
And  we  '11  be  united,  dear  Christians,  to-day. 

As  dews  that  descend,  in  the  silence  of  night, 
On  daisies  and  roses  with  gentleness  light ; 
So  reproofs  of  the  word  a  favor  display, 
And  we  '11  be  united,  dear  Christians,  to  day. 
20 


230  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

PRAYER. 

May  that  kind  Wisdom's  piercing  eye, 
Which  scans  events,  and  knows  their  end, 

Whose  tender  mercies  never  die, 
To  my  weak  heart  its  favor  lend. 

Give  me  to  feel  as  Jesus  prayed, 

When  on  the  cross  he  bleeding  hung ; 

When  all  his  foes  their  wrath  displayed, 
And  with  their  spite  his  bosom  stung. 

Till  death  he  loved  his  foes,  and  said, 
Father,  forgive  ;  then  groaned  and  died ; 

And  when  arisen  from  the  dead, 
His  mercy  to  their  souls  applied. 

For  such  a  heart  and  such  a  love, 
Kind  Lord,  I  raise  my  soul  to  thee ; 

O  pour  thy  spirit  from  above, 
That  I  may  like  my  Saviour  be  ! 


REDEMPTION.  231 

REDEMPTION. 

The  sun,  which  through  creation  shines, 
Through  every  land  and  nation, 

Is  but  an  emblem  of  that  grace, 
The  grace  of  man's  redemption. 

The  rain,  that  falls  in  gentle  showers, 

And  blesses  every  nation, 
Is  a  true  emblem  of  that  grace, 

The  grace  of  man's  redemption. 

The  dews,  which  fall  in  blessings  rich 

On  every  land  and  nation, 
Are  emblems,  too,  of  that  rich  grace, 

The  grace  of  man's  redemption. 

The  rivers,  which  from  mountains  flow, 
Through  vales  in  every  nation, 

Are  emblems  fair  of  grace  divine, 
The  grace  of  man's  redemption. 


232  METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

DIVINE    LOVE. 

The  outward  world  our  eyes  behold 
Shows  forth  its  Maker's  power ; 

The  changes,  which  we  see,  unfold 
That  goodness  we  adore. 

Consummate  wisdom,  robed  in  light, 
Her  sceptre  wide  displays  ; 

And  every  star  that  gilds  the  night 
Its  gentle  power  obeys. 

And  when  that  Wisdom's  eye  is  seen, 

It  mirrors  forth  to  view, 
On  mountains  high,  in  valleys  green, 

And  in  the  rain  and  dew; 

And  in  all  creatures,  high  and  low, 
On  earth  and  in  the  sea, 

In  heights  above,  in  depths  below, 
The  love  of  Deity. 

The  world,  invisible  to  sight, 
The  inward  world,  unseen, 

Is  radiant  with  celestial  light, 
And  so  has  ever  been. 


BURNING   OF    THE    LEXINGTON.  233 

The  seraphim,  around  the  throne 

Of  Him  who  rules  above, 
Have  never,  in  his  presence,  known 

A  power,  but  that  of  love. 

The  day  of  love  is  unbegun, 

Will  last  eternally ; 
Should  time  wear  out  the  stars  and  sun, 

Would  fill  immensity. 

Though  darkness  veil  the  plan  divine 

From  mortal  vision  here, 
Fast  hastens  on  the  promised  time 

When  love  will  make  it  clear. 


BURNING    OF    THE    LEXINGTON. 

The  many,  from  refreshments 
And  social  converse  sweet, 

Arose,  with  those  endearments 
Enjoyed  where  many  meet. 

The  sun  had  left  his  empire ; 

The  moon  her  sceptre  swayed ; 

All  felt  a  strong  desire 

Onward  to  be  conveyed. 
20* 


234  METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

On  board  was  manhood's  vigor ; 

Beauty  and  wit  were  there : 
And  fathers,  mothers,  lover ; 

All  filled  with  hope  and  care. 

Some  for  their  homes  were  longing, 
And  some  on  business  bound ; 

They  here  and  there  were  thronging, 
When  lo,  there  came  a  sound ! 

A  voice  was  heard  complaining, 
"  Our  boat  is  all  on  fire  ! 

See  there  !  behold  it  flaming  ! 
And  now  it  rises  higher  !" 

Dismay  and  awful  horror, 
Keen  anguish  and  despair, 

With  eyes  of  grief  and  sorrow, 
Beheld  destruction  there  ! 

Now  iron  hearts  are  failing ; 

All  human  skill  is  vain ; 
And  shrieks,  and  cries,  and  wailing, 

Are  all  that  now  remain. 


BURNING    OF    THE    LEXINGTON.  235 

That  scream  was  from  a  mother,  — 
"  0  save  my  drowning  child  ! " 

The  curls  of  smoke  now  smother 
The  frantic  and  the  wild. 

The  moon  and  stars,  in  mourning, 
Looked  on  this  scene  of  fire ; 

And  ocean's  waves  lay  groaning 
Beneath  those  flames  so  dire. 

But  0,  the  bitter  anguish 

Of  dying  thoughts,  in  those 
Who  left  their  friends  to  languish, 

No  living  mortal  knows  ! 

Let  all  whose  hearts  are  bleeding, 

Beneath  this  heavy  stroke, 
To  Jesus  come,  believing, 

And  take  his  easy  yoke. 

Your  burdens  he  will  lighten ; 

The  gloom  of  death  destroy ; 
The  star  of  hope  will  brighten, 

And  turn  your  grief  to  joy. 


236  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

THE    WORLD    REGENERATED 

Jesus  is  laid  in  Joseph's  tomb, 
And  night  spreads  o'er  the  land  ; 

The  little  flock  are  wrapped  in  gloom, 
That  fearful,  mourning  band. 

But,  lo !  He  rises  from  the  dead, 

Immortal  Prince  of  Peace  ; 
And  joyful  tidings  now  are  spread, 

And  ever  shall  increase. 

Then  forth  from  Salem  went  the  sound ; 

On  wings  of  wind  it  flew ; 
The  tidings  glad  were  spread  around ; 

The  world  was  born  anew. 

Thy  cities,  0  Immanuel, 

Received  the  joyful  news  ! 
It  fell  as  gentle  rains  distil, 

Or  like  refreshing  dews. 

Nor  did  the  ancient  nations'  bounds 

Impede  its  rapid  flight ; 
The  sun  which  sent  his  rays  around 

Was  a  resistless  lisrht. 


A    FERVENT    DESIRE.  237 

The  Roman  eagle  saw  its  blaze, 

Nor  could  endure  its  fire  ; 
The  heathen  gods  are  in  amaze, 

And  all  their  rites  expire. 

From  mountain  cut,  a  living  stone 

Fills  the  wide  earth  and  sea ; 
The  pride  and  power  of  kings  are  gone, 

And  the  oppressed  are  free. 

No  dream  is  this,  of  fancy's  mould, 

But  truth  divine  and  sure  ; 
A  doctrine  pure,  by  seers  foretold, 

And  ever  shall  endure. 


A    FERVENT    DESIRE. 

Come  thou,  who  in  thy  fulness  art 
A  heaven  of  peace  and  love, 

And  raise  this  lowly,  sunken  heart, 
To  thy  blest  heights  above. 

For  thou  hast  given  thy  child  below 
These  strong  desires  to  rise. 


238  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

And  taste  those  streams  of  life  which  flow 
In  fields  above  the  skies. 

Thou  wilt  not  mock  my  humble  prayer, 
Breathed  by  thy  spirit's  fire ; 

But  open  the  sweet  vision  fair,  — 
The  vision  I  desire. 

I  see,  I  see  its  glory  bright ! 

A  blissful  region  fair  ; 
It  fills  me  with  a  sweet  delight ; 

O,  grant  me  entrance  there  ! 


A    RURAL    VISIT. 

The  noon  was  past,  the  sun  was  bright ;  - 
With  those  I  loved  with  fond  delight, 
I  called  to  see  a  much  loved  friend, 
To  throw  off  cares,  —  as  we  unbend 
The  bow  of  yew,  its  strength  to  shield,  — 
And  wander  through  orchard  and  field, 
To  note  what  each  was  like  to  yield, 
And  how  the  farmer  laid  his  plans  — 
The  use  he  made  of  all  his  lands ; 
What  prospects  lay  in  hope's  bright  eye, 


A   RURAL    VISIT. 


239 


Of  coming  harvest,  wheat  and  rye  ; 
Nor  did  we  pass  the  garden  by. 

His  domicil  was  neat  and  clean  ; 
Fit  for  the  yeoman's  wife,  or  queen 
Of  any  realm  on  this  wide  earth, 
Or  princes  of  the  highest  birth. 

Well  pleased  with  the  whole  prospect  round, 
But  better  pleased  when  it  was  found 
That  on  these  premises  there  lay 
No  debt  or  mortgage,  which  one  day 
Might  turn  my  friend  and  wife  away. 

The  board  was  spread  with  needed  cheer, 
And  kindly  eyes  invited  near 
All  present,  to  regale  most  free, 
And  take  a  social  cup  of  tea. 

Now  all  was  tranquil,  and  no  fears 
Came  rushing  on  our  eyes  or  ears  ; 
Of  friendship's  nectar  supped  we, 
From  every  apprehension  free. 

The  sound  of  thunder  !     It  is  so  ! 
And  now  the  wind  begins  to  blow. 


240  METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

Gusts  after  gusts  now  rush  amain, 
Bending  the  trees  on  hill  and  plain. 
Look  out !  behold  how  dark  that  cloud  ! 
The  heavens  are  dressed  in  a  black  shroud, 
With  lightnings  sharp  and  thunders  loud, 
As  if  the  waters  of  the  sea 
Collected  had  their  majesty, 
Combined  with  wind  and  lightning's  power, 
To  give  the  earth  a  fearful  shower. 

O,  how  sublime  that  scene  appeared  ! 
All  looked  with  wonder,  and  some  feared. 
Before  the  pressure  of  the  wind, 
Tall  trees  their  mighty  strength  resigned ; 
And,  bowed  to  earth,  recumbent  lay, 
To  mark  the  wonders  of  that  day. 

But  troubled  elements,  we  find, 

Are  all  controlled  by  Power  most  kind ; 

For  He,  who  formed  the  world,  doth  ride 

On  clouds  and  winds,  and  does  preside 

O'er  all  of  elemental  strife, 

And  over  all  things  which  have  life. 

As  the  fleet  steed  from  forest  wild, 
When  broke,  is  gentle,  meek,  and  mild. 


A   RURAL   VISIT. 


241 


So  fierce  winds,  when  restrained,  do  seem 
Gentle  as  whispers  in  a  dream. 
And  that  dark  cloud,  so  full  of  dread, 
Like  drapery  now  lies  outspread  ; 
And  on  its  murky  folds  appear 
The  glories  of  the  rainbow  near. 

That  wondrous  sight !  who  can  behold 
Its  various  hues,  its  brilliant  gold, 
Its  rising  arch,  and  pleasing  form, 
Which  tell  the  ceasing  of  the  storm,  — 
This  token  God  has  placed  in  heaven 
Of  promises  to  mortals  given,  — 
And  not  devotion's  spirit  feel, 
And  grateful  at  his  altar  kneel  ? 


And  now  a  scene  of  glory  bright 
Precedes  the  setting  sun  at  night; 
More  brilliant  and  more  charming  far 
Than  is  the  longed-for  morning  star. 
It  must  remain  fresh  to  my  eyes 
Till  this  frail  body  sinks  and  dies. 

The  waving  grass,  all  washed  and  clean, 
Blushing  with  blossoms  fresh  and  green, 
21 


242  METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

Loaded  with  pearly  drops  of  rain, 
Lay  in  the  sunbeams  o'er  the  plain ; 
And  in  those  myriad  drops  were  seen 
All  nature's  colors  brightly  gleam. 
Entranced  I  saw,  and  could  but  feel 
A  spirit  strangely  o'er  me  steal ; 
It  taught  me  in  those  drops  to  see 
The  wisdom  of  the  Deity. 

Old  Homer  sang  of  hero  gods, 
And  battle  fields  of  gory  floods, 
Of  blood,  all  drawn  from  human  veins, 
And  nations  bowed  in  iron  chains : 
Could  he  have  seen  this  charming  sight, 
Displayed  in  varied  rays  of  light, 
And  seen  in  them  the  God  of  love, 
And  felt  his  spirit  in  him  move, 
How  soft  and  sweet  had  been  his  lays, 
If  sung  in  the  Creator's  praise  ! 


jesus.  243 

JESUS. 

"  But  of  him  are  ye  in  Christ,  who  of  God  is  made  unto  us 
wisdom,  and  righteousness,  and  sanctification,  and  redemp- 
tion."'—1  Cor.  i.  30. 

Jesus  is  our  wisdom  made  j 
Jesus,  wisdom  from  above ; 

Why  should  we  then  be  afraid  ? 
Jesus,  he  is  full  of  love. 

Jesus  is  our  righteousness ; 

He  's  the  righteousness  of  God ; 
He  is  made  our  wedding  dress ; 

We  are  washed  in  Jesus'  blood. 

Sanctified  in  Jesus,  we 

Spotless  are  before  the  throne ; 

From  pollution  we  are  free ; 
Holy  in  the  Holy  One. 

Our  redemption  Jesus  is 

From  the  bondage  of  our  sin ; 

He  is  ours,  and  we  are  his ; 
Let  us  never  sin  again. 


244  METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

Raise  a  song  to  Jesus'  name, 
Praise  him  for  redeeming  grace ; 

Love  should  kindle  to  a  flame. 
While  we  bow  before  his  face. 


CHANGES. 

Wondrous  changes  in  our  clime 
Have  on  each  other  pressed  ; 

Though  scarcely  noticed  in  their  time, 
Are  great  must  be  confessed. 

Within  the  memory  of  man 
The  change  is  great  indeed ; 

And  though  the  time  is  but  a  span, 
To  look  we  only  need, 

To  see  that  what  was  once  esteemed, 

As  laudable  and  wise, 
Would  now  make  decent  men  ashamed, 

And  is  by  all  despised. 

From  days  of  yore  we  make  no  draught, 
When  priests  could  witches  hang ; 

And  when  it  suited  well  their  craft 
To  press  beneath  their  ban 


CHANGES.  245 

The  honest  Quaker,  who  could  see, 

In  outward  forms  and  rite, 
What  God  esteems  idolatry, 

And  loathsome  in  his  sight. 

Within  our  day,  too,  well  we  know 

The  Baptists  were  despised, 
And  scorned,  as  something  mean  and  low; 

Too  low  to  ever  rise. 

By  those  in  power  they  were  oppressed ; 

Their  rights  were  disallowed  ; 
And  by  the  clergy  made  a  jest, 

And  to  the  dust  were  bowed. 

But,  like  the  cedar  straight  and  high, 

Now  quite  erect  they  stand  ; 
Their  equal  rights  none  dare  deny, 

In  this  our  happy  land. 

The  Methodists  were  once  the  scorn 

Of  Levite  and  the  priest ; 
And  looked  on  as  plebeian  born, 

Yea,  treated  as  a  jest. 

How  great  the  change  which  now  we  see, 

And  grateful  to  our  eyes  ! 
21* 


246  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

The  lowly  shrub  became  a  tree  ; 
Its  rights  no  one  denies. 

The  Orthodox  and  Baptist  now 

With  Methodist  combine  ; 
Willing  each  other  to  allow 

A  fellowship  divine. 

Some  little  change  we  hope  may  come  — 
A  change  for  which  we  pray ; 

When  all  these  churches  may  be  one 
In  Christ,  who  is  the  way. 

Of  all  the  changes  in  our  clime, 
Which  in  our  day  have  been, 

That  truth,  that  blessed  truth  divine, 
The  end  of  death  and  sin  — 

The  final  holiness  and  bliss 

Of  all  the  human  race,  — 
Hath  wrought  the  greatest.    None  like  this 

Is  founded  on  that  grace 

Which  God  in  Christ  on  man  bestowed, 
And  made  the  blessing  sure  ; 

That  grace  which  hath  forever  flowed, 
And  ever  will  endure. 


CHANGES.  247 

When  first  this  doctrine  was  proclaimed, 

It  caused  no  small  surprise  ; 
It  was  by  pious  priests  disdained, 

As  monstrous  in  their  eyes  ! 

It  fired  the  learned  clergy  all 

With  zeal  to  put  it  down  ; 
And,  like  a  persecuting  Saul, 

They  met  it  with  a  frown. 

And  then  from  pulpits  thunders  came 

Perhaps  some  lightning  too  ; 
And  hell  below  was  made  to  flame 

With  terrors  not  a  few. 

That  Satan  had  contrived  his  last 

Base  error,  to  beguile 
Weak  mortals,  and  to  hold  them  fast 

In  sin  and  practice  vile, 

Was  everywhere  declared  a  truth  ; 

And  warnings  loud  were  given, 
To  fathers,  mothers,  and  to  youth, 

Who  had  a  wish  for  heaven, 

Never  to  lend  an  ear  to  hear 
This  doctrine  so  abhorred  ; 


248  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

But  watch  and  stand  in  constant  fear, 
Lest  they  offend  the  Lord. 

How  wicked,  too,  those  preachers  were, 

In  pious  people's  eyes, 
Who  did  impartial  grace  declare, 

As  if  they  uttered  lies  ! 

Such  views  and  horrors,  in  our  day, 
Have  changed  their  aspect  wild, 

And  seem  about  to  pass  away, 
Becoming  tame  and  mild. 

Patience,  dear  reader;   one  change  more 

I  mention  with  delight ;. 
Scripture  reads  not  as  heretofore, 

But  with  a  clearer  light. 

That  endless  woe,  which  once  was  seen 

In  almost  every  line, 
Has  gone,  like  a  departed  dream, 

Dispelled  by  light  divine. 


A    QUESTION    ANSWERED.  249 

A    QUESTION    ANSWERED. 

In  thee,  O  Lord,  though  formed  of  dust, 
I  place  my  confidence  and  trust. 
But  can  mere  earth  put  trust  in  thee, 
Because  't  is  organized  like  me  ? 

Or  do  all  creatures  of  the  earth, 
Of  sea  and  air,  thou  givest  birth, 
Look  up  to  thee,  and  in  thee  place 
Their  hopes,  as  do  the  human  race  ? 

The  question  labors  in  my  mind ; 
Wilt  thou  assist,  that  I  may  find 
The  truth ;  and  on  that  truth  rely 
While  life  remains,  and  when  I  die  ? 

What  art  thou,  Lord  ?  I  long  to  know  ; 
Wilt  thou  on  me  the  gift  bestow, 
To  understand  the  laws  which  bind 
My  soul  to  thy  eternal  mind  ? 

Art  thou  a  spirit,  wise  and  just, 
And  man  composed  of  naught  but  dust  ? 
O  what  relation  can  there  be 
Between  an  earthly  worm  and  thee  ! 


250  METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

Hast  thou  revealed  thy  truth,  0  Lord  ? 
And  can  we  read  it  in  thy  word  ? 
Then,  surely,  there  in  man  must  be 
A  spirit  which  pertains  to  thee. 

Thy  word  sets  forth  the  truth  divine, 
That  men  are  children,  Lord,  of  thine ; 
Dependent  on  thy  power  and  will, 
And  must  thy  purposes  fulfil. 


MY    NATIVE    RICHMOND. 

There  are  no  hills  in  Hampshire  New, 

Nor  valleys  half  so  fair, 
As  those  outspread  before  our  view, 

In  merry  Eichmond,  where 

I  first  my  mortal  race  began, 
And  spent  my  youthful  days ; 

Where  first  I  saw  the  golden  sun, 
And  felt  his  'livening  rays. 

There  is  no  spot  in  Richmond,  where 
Fond  memory  loves  to  dwell, 

As  on  the  glebe  outspreading  there 
In  Ballou's  blithesome  dell. 


NOTHING.  251 

There  are  no  birds  which  sing  so  well 

As  those  upon  the  spray, 
Where,  from  the  brow  of  grassy  hill, 

Comes  forth  the  morning  ray. 

Unnumbered  flowers,  the  pride  of  spring, 

Are  born  to  flourish  there, 
And  round  their  mellow  odors  fling, 

On  all  the  ambient  air. 

There  purling  streams  have  charms  for  me, 
Which  vulgar  brooks  ne'er  give  ; 

And  winds  breathe  sweeter  down  the  lea 
Than  where  magnolias  live. 


NOTHING. 

"  All  nations  before  him  are  as  nothing  ;  and  they  are  counted 
to  him  less  than  nothing,  and  vanity."  —  Isaiah  xl.  17. 

Nothings,  how  many  earth  supplies  ! 
Nothings  which  charm  the  many's  eyes ; 
Nothings  for  which  the  many  sigh  ; 
Nothings  for  which  so  many  die. 
Nations  are  nothings  ;  yea,  and  less, 
And  ruled  by  nothings,  we  confess. 


252  METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

Thrones,  crowns,  and  sceptres,  nothings  are ; 
All  now  on  earth,  like  those  that  were. 
Nothings,  called  riches,  take  the  lead ; 
And  nothings  are  they  all  indeed. 
That  nothing,  fame,  which  spreads  its  wings, 
And  kingdoms  unto  nothing  brings, 
Can  nothing  but  its  plume  bestow, 
And  that  is  nothing,  heroes  know. 
Nothings  made  up  in  robes  so  fine, 
And  worn  by  nothings,  brightly  shine. 
Beauty  is  nothing,  though  desired 
So  much  by  nothings,  and  admired. 
Pleasures  are  nothing ;  yet  how  bland 
These  nothings  are  !  the  gay,  the  grand, 
Such  nothings  love,  and  for  them  strive  ; 
Yet  from  these  nothings  naught  derive. 


SUBSTANCE.  253 


SUBSTANCE. 


' '  That  I  may  cause  those  that  love  me  to  inherit  substance 
and  I  will  fill  their  treasures."  —  Prov.  viii.  21. 

Wisdom  Divine  can  substance  give ; 
Substance  on  which  the  soul  can  live. 
Substance  is  found  in  all  her  ways, 
Riches  and  honor,  length  of  days. 
Her  love  is  substance  to  the  mind ; 
And  those  who  love  her  substance  find. 
Truth  is  substance,  precious,  pure ; 
Such  substance  ever  will  endure. 
I  see  this  substance  in  his  face, 
Who  gave  it  to  the  human  race. 
A  glorious  substance,  be  it  mine, 
And  may  it  ever  in  me  shine. 
May  I  this  substance  never  lose, 
Until  in  death  my  eyes  shall  close. 
My  spirit  may  this  substance  raise 
To  enjoy  divine  through  endless  days. 
22 


254 


METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 


UNIVERSAL    PRAISE. 

"All  thy  works  praise  thee,  O  Lord."  — Psalm  clxv.  10. 

The  heavens  praise  their  Author's  skill, 
And  speak  his  power  divine  ; 

While  all  their  shining  hosts  fulfil 
His  orders  and  design. 

The  blushing  hues  of  opening  day- 
Indite  a  hymn  of  praise ; 

While  thousand  voices  catch  the  lay, 
And  loud  the  pagan  raise. 

The  golden  beams  that  flood  the  sky, 

From  Sol's  uncovered  face, 
And  speak  in  every  dew-drop's  eye, 

Display  their  Maker's  grace. 

The  mountains,  hills,  and  valleys  wide, 

With  all  their  waters  sweet; 
Gardens  and  orchards  in  their  pride, 

The  hymn  of  praise  repeat. 

The  sea,  the  wide,  the  open  sea, 

With  all  its  caverns  deep ; 
Its  glittering  gems  no  eye  can  see, 

In  coral  fields  that  sleep  ; 


UNIVERSAL   PRAISE.'  255 

Its  raging  waves,  its  ruthless  tide, 

Which  rush  on  every  shore, 
And  distant  continents  divide, 

Praise  God,  and  him  adore. 

The  elements,  by  a  control 

Ordained  by  power  divine, 
Obedient  move  from  pole  to  pole, 

And  in  the  concert  join. 

When  stormy  winds  sweep  o'er  the  deep, 

And  rage  along  the  shore  ; 
When  hail,  and  rain,  and  snow,  and  sleet, 

In  fearful  torrents  roar ; 

And  vessels  dashed  upon  the  strand, 

Deriding  human  skill ; 
These  all  confess  that  powerful  hand ; 

The  will  divine  fulfil. 

Each  season  of  the  rolling  year 

Proclaims  its  Author's  ways ; 
And  all  combine,  as  one,  to  rear 

A  monument  of  praise. 


256  METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

HEALING    POWER    OF    LOVE. 

"  Purge  me  with  hyssop."  —  Psalm  li.  7. 

An  hyssop  grows  in  Eden's  bowers, 
Moistened  with  dews,  and  wet  with  showers ; 

A  panacea  for  the  soul ; 
'T  was  planted  there  in  nature's  spring, 
A  holy,  never-dying  thing, 

Our  wayward  passions  to  control. 

'T  will  purge  the  leprosy  of  sin, 
And  purify  the  heart  within, 

And  even  bring  the  dead  to  life. 
Its  odors  shed,  the  air  perfumes 
With  sweetness,  while  the  mind  assumes 

A  heavenly  calmness,  free  from  strife. 

Bright  angels  guard  the  herb  divine, 
And  place  its  leaves  around  the  shrine, 

Devoted  to  the  throne  above. 
The  sun  of  righteousness  his  rays 
Most  mildly  to  the  plant  conveys  ; 

Its  name  is  Everlasting  Love. 


LINES.  257 

LINES 

PRESENTED     WITH     A     NEW     YEAR'S     GIFT. 

To  Him  who  gave  to  Time  his  wings, 
And  rolls  the  seasons  round ; 

Who  to  us  every  blessing  brings, 
Let  gratitude  abound. 

This  New  Year's  day  should  us  remind 
Of  how  our  time  we  've  spent ; 

What  done  to  approbate  we  find, 
Or  what  we  should  relent. 

If  in  the  past  some  wrongs  we  find,  — 

As  find  we  surely  do  — 
To  the  contrite  our  God  is  kind, 

And  will  their  hearts  renew. 

Wisdom  will  teach  us  how  to  make 

Our  errors  work  our  good ; 
For  blest  are  they  who  do  forsake 

Their  wrongs,  and  turn  to  God. 

Now,  on  this  New  Year's  day,  may  we 

Good  resolutions  frame, 
To  live  from  sin  and  folly  free, 

And  the  true  riches  gain. 

22* 


258  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

Another  New  Year's  day  should  we, 
On  earth,  each  other  greet, 

No  pains  or  sickness  may  we  see, 
Nor  disappointments  meet. 


DEPENDENCE    ON   AND    TRUST 
IN    GOD. 

On  all  things  in  our  world  around 
Is  written  mystery  profound, 

Beyond  our  intellect  to  scan ; 
Within  our  vision's  scope  we  see 
The  impress  of  the  Deity, 

Transcending  all  the  powers  of  man. 

We  see  the  monarch  of  the  day, 
Wre  see  the  planets  on  their  way  ; 

Are  filled  with  wonder  and  surprise  ! 
Imagination  takes  its  flight 
Beyond  the  shining  orbs  of  night ; 

Its  onward  course  no  bound  denies. 

When  stretched  as  far  as  thought  can  go, 
The  mind  returns ;  and  well  we  know 
How  small,  how  impotent  we  are. 


PRAISE    THE    LORD.  259 

The  drop  that 's  in  the  ocean  deep, 
Where  coral  rocks  in  darkness  sleep, 
Depends  on  the  Almighty's  care 

No  more  than  we,  who  vainly  boast 
Of  wisdom,  power ;  and  think  almost 

That  we  can  fix  our  destiny. 
To  Him,  who  rules  creation  wide, 
Our  destiny  we  may  confide, 

The  Father  of  eternity. 


PRAISE    THE    LORD. 

COMPOSED  FOR  A  FAVORITE  TUNE. 

Praise  the  Lord,  your  voices  joining, 
Praise  the  Lord,  your  voices  joining, 
Laud  the  blest,  the  Holy  One, 
Whose  glory  is  forever  shining. 

The  wondrous  glories  of  the  day ; 

The  feathered  tribes  so  sweetly  singing, 
Declare  the  honors  of  his  name, 

And  send  them  through  creation  ringing. 
Praise  the  Lord,  &c. 


260  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

The  smiling  beauties  of  his  face 

We  nightly  see,  all  brightly  shining 

In  the  moon  and  twinkling  stars, 

Wisdom  divine  with  power  combining. 
Praise  the  Lord,  &c. 

He  breathes  in  zephyrs  mild  and  bland, 
O'er  valleys  wide,  in  beauty  glowing ; 

He  clothes  the  lilies  in  their  pride, 
Beside  the  streamlets  gently  flowing. 
Praise  the  Lord,  &c. 

In  fruitful  fields  and  gardens  green 
His  goodness  ever  is  abounding ; 

Then  let  us  aL    n  hymns  of  praise, 

Our  voices  join,  high  praise  resounding. 

Praise  the  Lord,  your  voices  joining ; 
Praise  the  Lord,  your  voices  joining  ; 
Laud  the  blest,  the  Holy  One, 
Whose  glory  is  forever  shining. 


DEATH  NOT  TO  BE  FEARED.       261 

DEATH    NOT    TO    BE    FEARED. 

Why  call  we  Death  to  man  a  foe  ? 

Why  should  we  fear  to  die  ? 
Does  heavenly  wisdom  teach  us  so  ? 

Let  as  the  question  try. 

Is  he  of  independent  might  ? 

Does  he  himself  sustain  ? 
These  questions,  if  we  answer  right, 

Will  make  our  subject  plain. 

See  ye  his  scythe,  his  dart,  his  spear  ? 

Who  placed  them  in  his  hand  ? 
Know  this,  and  give  the  winds  your  fear ; 

Dauntless  before  him  stand. 

Death  is  a  messenger  of  God ; 

And  God  is  love,  we  know ; 
Nothing  can  come  from  him  but  good ; 

No  enmity  can  flow. 

Death  only  comes  when  he  is  sent, 
Commissioned  from  on  high ; 

And  all  his  weapons,  too,  are  lent ; 
Why  fear  we  then  to  die  ? 


262  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

Death  comes  a  friend  to  mortal  man, 

To  set  his  spirit  free  ; 
Nor  he,  nor  any  creature,  can 

Reverse  the  blest  decree. 

Had  Death  on  us  an  evil  eye, 
Would  he  our  pains  remove, 

And  set  our  spirits  free  to  fly- 
To  peaceful  realms  above  ? 

Unkind  were  Death,  he  would  delay 

Our  sufferings  all  to  end, 
And  let  us  in  our  anguish  stay, 

Nor  his  assistance  lend. 

Teach  not  your  children,  parents  dear, 
To  dread  what  God  may  send ; 

Nor  fill  their  tender  hearts  with  fear 
Of  Him  who  is  their  friend. 


HYMN.  263 


HYMN. 


You,  in  riches  who  abound, 
To  this  humble  claim  give  ear ; 

Spread  your  charity  around, 

Wipe  from  sorrow's  eye  the  tear. 

Unto  him  your  money  lend, 

Who  does  all  your  treasures  give ; 

To  the  poor  a  portion  send ; 
Let  your  hungry  brother  live. 

See  in  yonder  lane  the  cot 

Where  the  couch  of  sickness  lies ; 
Where  the  staff  of  life  is  not, 

Hear  the  hungry  children's  cries. 

Bright  those  jewels  of  the  skies 

Which  in  sable  darkness  glow ; 
Brighter,  in  compassion's  eyes, 
•     Are  the  silent  tears  which  flow. 

Sweet  the  odors  from  the  fields, 
Where  abundant  spices  grow ; 

Sweeter  far  is  that  which  yields 
Comfort  to  the  sick  and  low. 


264  METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

Grateful  are  those  gentle  dews 
On  the  fainting  grass  which  fall; 

Far  more  grateful  what  renews 
Comforts  to  the  poor  who  call. 


IN    REFERENCE    TO    CAPITAL 
PUNISHMENT. 

If  in  the  heart  the  virus  dwell 
Of  murder,  can  we  that  expel 
By  dire  revenge  ?  or  shall  we  find 
We  miss  the  law  that  governs  mind  ? 

To  quench  a  flame  should  we  engage, 
And  fuel  add,  behold  the  rage  ! 
Now  fiercer  still  the  flame  ascends, 
And  fear  with  consternation  blends. 

Man  kills  his  neighbor  ;  —  why  ?  because 
His  passions  rise  against  the  laws 
Which  God  hath  written  in  his  soul, 
Unmanned  the  man,  and  made  a  fool. 


CAPITAL    PUNISHMENT.  265 

To  cure  this  evil,  now  the  law, 
With  tiger's  rage  and  open  jaw, 
Cries  out  for  blood,  —  for  blood  it  cries, 
Seizes  the  culprit,  and  he  dies. 

Two  men  are  dead  in  room  of  one ; 
And  now  the  work  is  but  begun ; 
The  virus  spreads  ;  and  everywhere 
The  deadly  taint  fills  all  the  air. 

And  murder  now  becomes  more  rife  ; 
Lightly  esteemed  is  human  life  ; 
And  he  who  could  not  just  before 
Now  coolly  looks  on  human  gore. 

Revenge  is  wrong  ;  cannot  subdue 
The  vile  affections ;  but  renew 
Their  action  to  a  flame  most  dire, 
To  rage  like  a  consuming  fire. 

When  will  our  legislators  learn 
That  blessed,  heavenly  truth  discern  — 
When  will  it  well  be  understood 
That  evil  is  o'ercome  with  good  ? 
23 


266  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 


HERO    OF    TRUTH. 

RESPECTFULLY  DEDICATED  TO  REV.  H. 

BALLOU. 

Nobly  the  warrior  stood, 

Strong  in  his  battle  might; 
And  his  voice  rang  clear  through  the  solemn  wood, 

Where  the  watch-fire  flashed  its  light. 
The  startled  panther  sprang  up  and  fled, 

And  the  serpent  crept  away, 
For  he  feared  a  bruise  on  his  venomed  head 

From  a  weapon  strong  to  slay. 

But  the  birds  sang  wild  and  sweet, 

Above  the  warrior's  head, 
And  the  wild  flowers  clustered  around  his  feet, 

And  bowed  at  his  lordly  tread, 
And  far  in  the  wilderness  sang  the  streams, 

With  ominous  tones  and  deep ; 
They  had  wakened  his  soul  from  the  fitful  dreams, 

That  haunted  its  morning  sleep. 

And  nobly  now  he  stood, 
Strong  in  his  battle  might, 


HERO    OF    TRUTH. 


267 


For  the  cause  that  nerved  him  was  human  good, 
The  Noble,  the  True,  the  Right ! 

At  the  frown  of  the  haughty  he  trembled  not, 
Nor  shrunk  from  the  eye  of  scorn  ; 

For  his  soul  was  girded  to  meet  the  lot 
For  which  he  was  nobly  born. 

With  a  weapon  dyed  in  blood, 

Old  giant  Error  rose  ; 
He  had  fought  and  conquered  before  the  flood, 

And  who  dared  now  oppose  ? 
As  Apollyon  fought,  in  the  lonely  vale, 

With  the  Pilgrim  worn  and  weak, 
So  Error  fought,  in  his  coat  of  mail, 

With  the  youth  of  the  beardless  cheek. 

As  the  Philistine  giant  strove, 

With  his  sword,  and  spear,  and  shield, 
'Gainst  the  youth  who  came  in  the  name  of  Jove, 

To  battle  in  Elah's  field  ; 
So  Error,  the  giant  of  centuries'  growth, 

With  scorn  on  his  lip  at  play, 
Came  out  'gainst  the  stripling  whose  sling  was 
truth, 

And  vowed  him  to  death  a  prey  ! 


268  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

But  the  battle  ivas  still  the  Lord's ! 

And  the  hosts  of  the  giant  fled, 
Leaving  behind,  with  their  broken  swords, 

Their  champion,  Error,  dead  ! 
While  the  army  of  Israel,  firm  and  strong, 

Shout  "  Victory  ! "  loud  and  high  ; 
And  the  valleys  ring  with  the  triumph-song, 

"  Thus  Error  shall  ever  die  !" 

And  now  the  warrior  rests  ; 

Peace  on  his  reverend  head  ! 
Peace,  'mid  the  tumult  of  waving  crests, 

And  an  army's  thundering  tread  ! 
Peace,  while  he  gazes  in  proud  delight 

On  the  youthful  champions  round  ! 
He  hath  run  the  race  —  he  hath  fought  the  fight, 

Let  the  Hero  of  Truth  be  crowned  ! 

Shirley  Village,  Mass.  s.  c.  e. 


LINES.  269 

LINES 

Suggested  by  the  article  entitled  "Hero  of  Truth,"  in  the 
"  Trumpet"  of  the  31st  nit. 

How  sweet  those  moving  sounds  which  float 

Through  the  elastic  air  ! 
From  Shirley  Village  comes  each  note, 

Sung  by  the  village  fair. 

Her  hand  has  wove  a  garland  bright, 

And  placed  it  on  the  brow 
Of  the  most  humble  in  the  fight 

For  truth,  which  triumphs  now. 

Will  jealous  envy,  think  ye,  frown, 

And  of  these  lays  complain  ? 
Will  superstition,  cowl  and  gown, 

Cast  on  the  maid  disdain  ? 

Bright  eyes  beheld,  in  Elah's  vale, 

The  haughty  giant  stand  ; 
They  saw  the  host  of  Israel  quail 

Before  his  glittering  brand. 

Then  prayers  went  up  to  God,  defied ; 

Matrons  and  maidens  prayed  ; 
The  fervent  prayer  was  not  denied, 

Nor  was  relief  delayed. 
23* 


270  METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

A  beardless  youth,  to  their  surprise, 
With  neither  sword  nor  shield, 

Who  on  the  Holy  Name  relies, 
Now  boldly  takes  the  field. 

Fain  would  the  giant  daunt  the  youth, 
And  spurn  him  from  his  sight ; 

A  stranger  to  the  power  of  truth, 
With  truth  he  dared  to  fight. 

One  stroke,  unerring,  laid  him  low, 
And  shouts  of  victory  rose, 

And  taught  the  enemy  to  know 
The  strength  he  would  oppose. 

Then  in  the  dance,  with  tabrets  sweet, 
Matrons  and  maidens  sung, 

And  did  the  hero  warmly  greet, 
While  joyful  music  rung. 

If  Zion's  daughters,  then,  of  yore, 
Crowned  the  triumphant  youth, 

Should  not  her  maidens  now  much  more 
Laud  Heaven's  victorious  truth  ? 


ON    THE    GOODNESS    OF   GOD.  271 

ON    THE    GOODNESS    OF    GOD. 

"  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  forget  not  all  his  benefits." 
-Psalm  ciii.  2. 

Let  all  things  praise  the  Lord  on  high, 
Who  rules  the  earth,  and  sea,  and  sky ; 
Whose  laws  the  elements  control, 
And  all  the  planets  as  they  roll. 

The  varied  seasons  of  the  year 
E'er  to  his  holy  will  adhere  ; 
And  manifest  the  watchful  love 
Which  sits  enthroned  in  worlds  above. 

When  winter,  with  its  icy  chains, 
Wide  o'er  the  earth  in  rigor  reigns, 
And  lakes  and  rivers  lie  concealed, 
And  herds  and  flocks  forsake  the  field ; 

And  when  the  snow  has  robed  the  ground, 
And  not  a  smiling  flower  is  found,  — 
A  thousand  comforts  then  appear, 
A  large  supply  of  richest  cheer. 

The  winter  eve  enjoyment  brings, 
Drawn  from  unnumbered  flowing  springs ; 


272  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

And  has  its  hours  of  sweet  delight, 
Which  welcome  each  returning  night. 

And  when  returns  the  balmy  spring, 
And  open  flowers  their  odors  fling 
From  fields  and  gardens  on  the  air, 
All  nature  smiles,  for  God  is  there. 

See,  with  his  implements  of  toil, 
Brown  labor  wears  a  cheerful  smile ; 
While  to  his  purpose  yields  the  glebe, 
And  in  its  bosom  takes  the  seed. 

Sweet  is  the  air  the  zephyr  breathes, 
And  charming  are  the  opening  leaves ; 
Enchanting,  too,  are  birds  which  sing 
The  honors  of  returning  spring. 

The  summer  months,  without  delay, 
With  heat  intense,  and  lengthened  day, 
Accomplish  now  Jehovah's  will, 
And  the  whole  earth  with  plenty  fill. 

How  most  inviting  is  the  scene 
Around  us  spread  !  how  bright  the  green 
And  yellow  fields,  which  promise  fair, 
A  rich  reward  for  labor's  care  ! 


ON    THE    GOODNESS    OF    GOD.  273 

Now  autumn,  in  its  plenty,  brings 
A  large  supply  of  precious  things, 
Which  fill  our  markets  flowing  o'er, 
To  feed  the  wealthy  and  the  poor. 

For  these  sweet  seasons  of  delight 
Let  Him  be  praised  who  makes  them  bright ; 
Nor  let  a  day  nor  hour  be  spent 
Without  devout  acknowledgment. 

O  praise  Him,  who  such  goodness  shows, 
Whose  favor  like  a  river  flows  ; 
Let  gratitude  each  heart  inspire 
With  pure  devotion's  holy  fire. 

Still  greater  mercies  to  our  race, 
From  an  exhaustless  font  of  grace, 
Flow  in  living  stream  forever, 
From  God's  throne,  a  mighty  river. 

When  all  was  desert,  drought,  and  sin, 
And  life  divine  unknown  to  men, 
He  smote  the  Rock,  and  lo,  behold ! 
A  full  supply  for  all  the  fold. 


274  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

Hear,  now,  the  gospel's  trumpet  sound, 
From  shore  to  shore  the  world  around, 
Freedom  from  sin  and  death  proclaim, 
In  Christ,  the  great  Redeemer's  name. 

He  who  hath  conquered  death  and  sin, 
And  righteousness  divine  brought  in, 
His  sceptre  o'er  the  world  shall  sway, 
Till  all  his  enemies  obey. 

Let  glory  unto  God  be  given, 
By  all  on  earth  and  all  in  heaven ; 
And  may  this  holy  worship  be 
An  everlasting  jubilee. 


LINES. 

I  love  the  glory  of  the  morn, 

Displayed  in  orient  ray, 
When  from  the  ocean's  wave  is  born 

The  father  of  the  day. 

I  love  the  warmer  beam  of  noon, 
Which  opens  every  flower, 


LINES.  275 

And  sits  the  dye  on  every  bloom 
In  Nature's  rosy  bovver. 

I  love  the  milder  evening  beam, 
Which  glitters  through  the  trees, 

When  lunar  beams  are  broader  seen, 
And  sweetens  every  breeze. 

And  yet  a  glory  I  have  seen, 

Far  brighter  than  the  morn ; 
It  is  the  light  of  Zion's  King, 

For  man's  salvation  born. 

The  virtues  tinged  by  his  bright  ray 
Surpass  each  opening  flower, 

Which  blushes  to  the  noon  of  day, 
In  Nature's  rosy  bower. 

Nor  does  the  setting  sun  display 
Such  sweet,  such  softening  charms, 

As  the  bright  hope  of  glory's  day, 
Which  tyrant  Death  disarms. 


276  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

HUNGERING    AND    THIRSTING 
AFTER   RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

Make  me  to  hunger,  O  my  God, 

For  righteousness  divine ; 
Increase  my  thirst,  thou  only  good, 

For  love's  sweet  flowing  wine. 

From  noisome  dregs  of  sin  and  strife 
Wilt  thou  my  soul  set  free, 

That  I  may  taste  those  streams  of  life 
Which  gently  flow  from  thee. 

Inwrought  within  this  heart  of  mine, 

May  thy  rich  favors  grow, 
And  all  my  powders  to  thee  incline, 

The  more  of  thee  to  know. 

Then,  freed  from  sin,  and  blest  in  thee, 
My  longing  soul  shall  prove 

The  fruit  of  life's  unfading  tree, 
And  fulness  of  thy  love. 


LOVE    ALLOWS    NO    COMPULSION.  277 

LOVE   ALLOWS    NO   COMPULSION. 

Need  fear  compel  me  to  behold 
A  beauteous  form  and  neat  ? 

Or  must  the  hungry  man  be  told 
Of  hell,  to  make  him  eat  ? 

Talk  we  of  sweetness  to  the  taste,- 

Or  beauty  to  the  eye  ? 
Pure  virtue's  flavor  is  the  best, 

Most  brilliant,  too,  its  dye. 

Hast  thou,  my' son,  her  lovely  form 

Seen  in  a  mirror  bright  ? 
All  other  beauties  treat  with  scorn, 

But  make  her  thy  delight. 

Around  thy  neck,  like  chains  of  gold, 
Her  mildest  rays  shall  shine, 

And  to  thy  longing  heart  unfold 
Her  treasures  all  divine. 
24 


278  METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

ODE    FOR    THE    FOURTH  OF  JULY 

Let  grateful  millions  join  to  raise. 
In  Freedom's  song,  Jehovah's  praise, 

Who  gave  our  nation  birth  ; 
Who  laid  the  oppressive  tyrant  low, 
And  broke  the  savage  warrior's  bow, 

And  freedom  gave  to  earth. 

Our  starry  banners  wave  in  air, 
While  manly  youth  and  virgins  fair 

Learn  Independence'  song; 
And  sing  Oppression's  broken  chain, 
And  shout  fair  Freedom's  gentle  reign, 

Whose  laws  are  mild  but  strong. 

Her  sacred  fire  our  fathers  caught, 
Through  seas  of  blood  our  heroes  fought, 

To  plant  her  in  our  land  ; 
And  we,  their  sons,  rejoice  to  see 
The  fruit  and  blossoms  of  the  tree 

Which  shall  forever  stand. 

When  foreign  and  internal  foes 

Against  our  independence  rose, 

To  fell  fair  Freedom's  tree ; 


ODE  FOR  THE  FOURTH  OF  JULY.      279 

Her  genius  fired  a  million  hearts, 
And  winged  as  many  fatal  darts, 
To  sink  them  in  the  sea. 

With  joy  we  see,  among  the  great, 
A  hero  fill  the  chair  of  state, 

Who  fought  for  liberty  ; 
To  union  has  our  state  restored, 
Our  shattered  bark  has  safely  moored, 

And  loves  to  see  us  free. 

From  zone  to  zone,  and  round  the  earth, 
May  Freedom  give  the  nations  birth, 

And  break  Oppression's  chain  ; 
May  olive  Peace  her  garlands  weave, 
Long  as  the  mighty  waters  wave, 

And  hold  her  gentle  reign. 


280  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

HYMN. 

"He  healeth  the  broken  in  heart,  and  hindeth  up  their 
wounds."  —  Psalm  cxlvii.  3. 

To  the  heart  that  is  broken  with  grief, 
And  tortured  with  wounds  deep  and  sore, 

Thy  mercy,  0  Lord,  gives  relief, 

Thy  grace  is  the  balm  that  can  cure. 

The  tear  in  the  penitent  eye, 

Like  the  dew  on  the  plant  that  was  dying, 
Shall  quicken  to  life,  and  a  sigh 

Recall  the  hope  that  was  flying. 

Despair  is  thy  plasm  of  grace, 
In  the  soul  thy  image  to  form  ; 

As  the  hues  of  the  bow  have  their  place 
On  the  blackness  and  darkness  of  storm. 

All  broken  and  wounded,  undone, 
Neither  priest  nor  Levite  can  cure ; 

Should  the  goodly  Samaritan  come, 
My  life  and  my  health  are  secure. 


THOUGHTS    ON    THE    SUN.  281 

THOUGHTS    ON    THE    SUN. 

Why  not  my  Saviour  shine  as  bright, 

With  his  refulgent  rays  ? 
Why  not  my  God  extend  his  light 

In  one  eternal  blaze  ? 

Why  not  all  darkness  flee  away, 
And  death  no  more  be  found  ? 

Why  not  one  bright  eternal  day 
Encircle  us  around  ? 

Is  there  not  goodness  in  the  Lord 

Enough  to  overcome  ?  — 
Is  there  not  power  enough  in  God 

To  bring  the  strangers  home  ? 

Why  not  my  Saviour  victory  gain 

O'er  every  hardened  heart, 
And  reconcile  the  whole  to  him, 

And  never  leave  a  part  ? 

Was  not  an  ancient  promise  made, 

When  God  created  man  ? 
And  what  can  ever  be  displayed 

To  overthrow  his  plan  ? 
24* 


282  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

When  everything  shall  hear  his  voice, 
He  makes  an  end  of  sin  ; 

Will  not  the  angels  more  rejoice 
When  all  are  gathered  in  ? 

The  luminous  sun  extends  his  light 
To  all  the  human  race  ;  — 

Will  not  my  Saviour  make  as  bright 
The  kingdom  of  his  grace  ? 


PARTIAL   DOCTRINE    DISPROVED. 

Good  Doctor,  you  tell  me  election  is  true  — 
That  Jehovah  decreed  all  that  he  foreknew ; 
And  as  it  is  certain  that  some  go  to  hell, 
In  regions  of  darkness  forever  to  dwell, 
This  was  the  design  the  Creator  proposed, 
As  clearly  he  has  by  the  Scriptures  disclosed. 

And  some  go  to  heaven,  when  hence  they  depart, 
Their  passage  secure ;  and,  swift  as  a  dart, 
Through  regions  of  ether  they  shout  on  their  way, 
To  realms  of  bright  glory  and  mansions  of  day. 


THE    SHORTNESS    OF    LIFE. 


283 


All  this  was  decreed  ere  creation  began, 
Concerted  by  wisdom,  which  shines  in  the  plan. 

Now,  doctor,  I  doubt  it,  and  ask  you  to  say, 
Who  created  the  sun,  the  glory  of  day  ? 
Sir,  answer  directly,  and  say,  if  you  can,  — 
He  made  the  sun,  who 's  the  Creator  of  man. 
Then  false  is  your  system  I  easily  prove, 
Impartial  the  sun,  its  Creator  is  Love. 


THE   SHORTNESS   OF   LIFE   AND 
VISION   OF   HOPE. 

See  life  on  the  ocean  of  time, 
How  it  flits  from  billow  to  wave ; 

Like  the  beam  of  a  star  see  it  shine  — 
And  now  it  is  lost  in  the  grave  ! 

A  wind  from  the  east  past  along, 
And  hurried  the  waves  of  the  deep ; 

The  bark  in  a  moment  was  gone  ; 
The  wanderer  sunk  into  sleep  ! 

A  murmuring  noise  in  mine  ear 
Inclined  the  glance  of  mine  eye  — 


284  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

All  still  —  life  had  fled,  but  a  tear 
Remained ;  it  was  born  from  a  sigh. 

Behold  in  that  tear  a  bright  ray, 
Disclosing  a  vision  divine, 

And  opening  the  glory  of  day, 
Forever  and  ever  to  shine. 


LINES 


"  Therefore  with  joy  shall  ye  draw  water  out  of  the  wells 
of  salvation."  —  Isaiah  xii.  3. 

In  the  wisdom  of  God  we  have  found  a  sweet 

pool, 
Where  the  waters  are  flowing  to  comfort  the  soul. 
O  come,  then,  ye  thirsty ;  come,  ye  dying,  and 

live  ; 
Life,  joy,  peace,  and  salvation,  this  wisdom  can 

give. 

0,  the  law  of  the  Lord  is  a  fountain  of  truth ; 
'T  is  a  comfort  to  age,  't  is  a  guide  to  the  youth  ; 
Then  to  the  law,  ye  lost  and  weary  ones,  come ; 
Here  the  stranger,  the  pilgrim,  shall  find  a  sweet 
home. 


LINES.  285 

Living  streams  of  salvation  and  wells  of  delight 
Are  promises  all,  when  they  are  brought  to  our 

sight ;  — 
To  the  promises  come,  as  to  fountains  of  joy; 
Drink  deep  of  these  waters,  for  they  never  can 

cloy. 

The  hope  of  the  gospel  is  a  well-spring  of  life  ; 
Here  the  gloom  of  despair  and  doubts  end  their 

strife  ; 
Ye  doubting  ones,  come  to  the  hope  of  salvation, 
And  never  more  part  with  divine  consolation. 

See,  the  Rock  of  salvation  is  smitten,  and  lo, 
Streams  of  pity  and  mercy  abundantly  flow  ! 
Come,  then,  to  the  Rock,  0  ye  guilty,  forgiven, 
These  waters  flow  freely  ;  the  fountain  is  heaven. 

See  the  judgments  of  God,  as  clouds  darken  the 
air  ; 

But  why  should  we  tremble  if  salvation  is  there  ? 

These  clouds,  though  so  dark,  shall  soon  in  bless- 
ings descend ; 

For  God  is  our  lawgiver,  judge,  saviour,  and 
friend. 


286  METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

All  nations,  all  people,  forever  and  ever 
United  in  bands,  such  as  nothing  can  sever, 
With  joy  we  will  draw  from  the  wells  of  salvation 
The  waters  of  life  and  of  sweet  consolation. 


THE    CARRIER'S    ADDRESS 

TO     THE     PATRONS     OF     THE     UNIVERSALIS! 
MAGAZINE,     JANUARY     1 ,    1825. 

As  the  lark  hails  the  morn,  and  the  turtle  the 

spring, 
I  would  hail  the  New  Year  in  the  offering  I  bring ; 
May  peace,  joy,  and  comfort,  with  its  days  all 

increase  ; 
From   strife,    sin,   and    sorrow,  millions   find   a 

release ; 
And  you,  my  kind  patrons,  all  abundantly  prove 
The  favors  of  wisdom  and  the  riches  of  love. 

While  cold  winter  remains,  and  the  season  of 

snows, 
May  your  dwellings  afford  you  delight  and  repose. 


THE    CARRIER'S    ADDRESS.  287 

When  the  sun  shall  call  forth  the  bud  and  the 

flower, 
And  young  zephyrs  shall  wanton  through  forest 

and  bower, 
Then,  as  blithe  as  the  birds  that  carol  on  the 

sprays, 
May  you  bask  in  the  sun,  and  be  blest  in  his 

rays. 
May  summer  and  autumn  all  their  luxuries  yield, 
All  the  fruits  of  the  orchard,  the  pasture  and  field  ; 
While  with    health,   and  with   plenty,    and   all 

earthly  good, 
You  are  blest  to  the  full,  then  remember  your 

God. 

Should  I  speak  of  past  scenes  from  the  Maga- 
zine's youth, 
Your  patience  would  fail  ere  I  could  tell  all  the 

truth. 
Its  foes  have  exerted  all  their  strength  in  the  strife, 
And  swore,  by  their  Dagon,  they  would  cut  short 

its  life  ; 
Not  a  dart,  nor  a  club,  deadly  malice  could  throw, 
For  want  of  commission,  failed  of  giving  a  blow; 


288  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

And  so  dark  was  the  air  often  made  by  the  dust, 
When  they  rushed  in  their  host  of  corruption  and 

lust, 
That  many  well-wishers,  by  miscounting  the  cost, 
Thought   Satan  was  victor,  and   the  Magazine 

lost! 

In  a  moment  of  time,  bright  Aurora,  in  charms, 
The  clouds  would  all  scatter,  proudly  brandish 

her  arms, 
Displaying  the  triumph  of  Christ  and  salvation, 
Expressed  in  your  praises  with  glad  acclamation  ! 

The  wrath  of  old  Moloch,  all  his  prophets  de- 
clared, 

Would  come  down  on  your  heads,  not  a  soul 
would  be  spared, 

For  the  crime  of  your  faith,  which  embraces  our 
race 

In  the  bosom  of  love,  and  the  fulness  of  grace. 

And  yet  still  you  believe,  and  feel  none  of  his 
ire, 

You  regard  not  his  threats,  and  you  fear  not  his 
fire. 


THE    CARRIER'S    ADDRESS.                      2S9 

The  old  scarlet  Mother  has  had  mourning  of  late, 

For  the  loss  of  some  words  which  composed  her 

estate  ; 

And  some  other  losses,  in  the  rest  of  her  wares, 

Do  her  troubles  increase,  and  her  sorrows  and 

cares. 

Yet  a  ray  of  faint  hope  seems  to  beam  in  her 

eye, 

As  some  appear  willing,  and  will  still  longer  try, 

For  the  sake  of  her  pelf,  ply  their  hands  to  her 

cause, 

And  receive  their  reward  in  her  ribbons  and  gauze. 

Yet  the  vials  of  wrath  fast  prevail  on  her  power, 

Her  plagues  are  collected,  and  all  come  in  an 

hour. 

The  light  of  Salvation,  now  behold  it  arise, 

Its  rays  of  bright  glory  fast  prevail  through  the 

skies  ! 

Now  the  temple  of  grace  its  fair  turrets  displays, 

And  the  city  of  God  appears  all  in  a  blaze, 

As  fair  as  the  moon  is,  and  as  clear  as  the  sun, 

Her  banners  are  spreading,  and  her  glory  has 

come  ! 

25 

' . . 

290  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

You've  tasted  of  honey,  as  it  gushed  from  the 

comb, 
But  were  not  contented  feat  the  morsel  alone  ; 
So  now,  made  partakers  of  sweet  favors  that  flow, 
On  companions  around,  a  rich  portion  bestow. 
And  as  you  are  favored  with  all  fulness  and  more, 
Have  compassion  for  all,  and  remember  the  poor. 


IMMORTALITY. 

That  orient  beam  which  cheers  the  morn, 

And  drives  the  murky  gloom  away, 
Through  trackless  ether  swiftly  borne, 

To  welcome  in  the  infant  day,  — 
Reminds  me  of  that  heavenly  light, 

Whose  rays,  dispersing  error's  gloom, 
Open  to  man  a  glory  bright, 

In  a  fair  world  beyond  the  tomb. 

Those  varying  scenes  of  beauty  fair, 

Which  welcome  in  tbe  youthful  spring  — 

The  blooming  fields,  the  fragrant  air, 
The  leafy  groves  and  birds  that  sing,  — 


ODE    FOR    THE    FOURTH    OF    JULY.  291 

Remind  me  of  that  promised  day, 

When  from  the  dead  mankind  shall  rise, 

As  pure  as  light,  and  wing  his  way, 
To  spring  eternal  in  the  skies. 


ODE   FOR   THE   FOURTH    OF  JULY. 

In  Freedom's  song  let  millions  join, 
And  praise  the  guardian  power  divine, 

Whose  inspiration  gave  the  light, 
That  dawned  with  clear,  celestial  ray, 
And  gave  our  land  this  festal  day, 

Dispersed  its  clouds  and  made  it  bright. 

Like  Israel's  tribes  on  Egypt's  flood, 
Our  fathers'  feet  with  caution  stood 

On  stern  Oppression's  awful  strand  ; 
They  raised  their  prayer  to  Heaven's  high  throne  ; 
The  Lord  in  majesty  came  down, 

And  safely  led  his  chosen  band. 

The  way  was  desert,  dark,  and  drear, 
And  doubtful  hearts  were  filled  with  fear ; 
But,  lo  !  a  fiery  pillar  rose, 


METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

A  light  to  guide  fair  freedom's  band, 

And  lead  them  to  the  promised  land  ; 

A  cloud  of  darkness  to  their  foes. 

Columbia's  hills  and  vales  be  glad ; 
Virgins  and  youth,  with  garlands  clad, 

Express  your  joy  in  songs  of  praise, 
While  dim-eyed  age  exults  to  see, 
Its  offspring  independent,  free  — 

And  joins  the  inspiring  themes  to  raise. 


ODE  FOR  THE  FOURTH  OF  JULY. 

Sung  at  the  Second  Universalist  Meeting,  July  5th,  1824. 

The  day  returns,  and  with  it  brings 
The  memory  of  a  thousand  things, 
Which  on  the  page  of  history  stand, 
The  pride  and  glory  of  our  land. 

When  by  Oppression's  maddening  claims 
A  tyrant  wrought  disgraceful  chains, 
Our  patriot  fathers  to  control, 
To  bow  their  neck,  debase  their  soul ; 


ODE  FOR  THE  FOURTH  OF  JULY.     293 

A  voice  was  heard  !  it  rent  the  air  ! 
It  made  Oppression's  eye-balls  stare  ! 
Declared  us  independent,  free  ! 
And  made  this  day  our  jubilee. 

Then  vassal  clans  and  savage  hosts 
The  din  of  war  sent  through  our  coasts  — 
The  blood  of  patriots  stained  the  field  ; 
But  freemen's  hearts  can  never  yield. 

Her  starry  banners  Freedom  waved, 
The  Power  Divine  our  country  saved, 
And  told  the  nations  far  and  near, 
Freedom  should  have  her  dwelling  here. 

A  light  has  from  her  temple  shone, 
And  sparks  have  from  her  altar  flown, 
To  distant  climes,  beyond  the  sea, 
The  light  and  fire  of  liberty. 

Long  as  the  sun  shall  rule  the  day, 
Or  moon  shall  hold  her  nightly  sway, 
May  Freedom's  sons  and  daughters  raise 
To  God  their  grateful  songs  of  praise. 

25* 


294  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

DEATH    AND    IMMORTALITY. 

And  must  I  die,  and  see  no  more 
This  lovely  world,  O  Lord,  of  thine, 

Give  all  these  sweet  enjoyments  o'er, 
And  to  the  shades  of  death  resign  ? 

Why  was  I  made  with  fond  desire 

For  these  bright  scenes  which  round  me  lie  ? 

To  see,  in  yonder  globe  of  fire, 
The  image  of  the  Deity  ? 

And  why  should  that  mild  moon  so  please, 
And  those  bright  stars  rejoice  a  heart 

Which  icy  death  so  soon  must  freeze, 
And  bid  each  charm  of  life  depart  ? 

Why  should  the  breezes  of  the  spring, 
And  the  gay  blossoms  on  the  trees, 

With  all  the  winged  tribes  that  sing, 
Have  such  enchanting  powers  to  please 

Thy  child,  O  Lord,  who  soon  must  die, 
And  see,  and  hear,  and  love  no  more  ? 

Can  non-existence  please  thine  eye  ? 
Can  death  and  silence  thee  adore  ? 


DEATH   AND    IMMORTALITY.  295 

Still  here  are  softer,  fonder  things, 
In  children  and  companion  dear, 

Than  blossoms,  or  the  bird  that  sings, 
My  love  to  warm,  engage  my  care. 

Why  dash  in  pieces,  then,  the  vase 
Where  such  perfumery  is  stored, 

And  blot  my  memory  from  the  place 

Where  I  Ve  inhaled  thy  sweetness,  Lord  ? 

In  dying  nature's  stormy  sea 

An  anchor  to  the  soul  is  cast, 
And  visions  of  eternity 

Present  a  rich  and  long  repast. 

Then,  when  in  death  I  close  these  eyes, 
And  to  his  power  my  heart  resign, 

May  hope's  immortal  star  arise, 
And  shed  its  cheering  rays  divine. 


296  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 


LINES. 


On  noisome  weeds  when  lilies  blow, 
And  hyacinths  on  nettles  grow ; 
When  briers  yield  the  camphor  gum, 
And  sweets  from  gall  and  wormwood  run ; 
When  hatred  flows  in  streams  of  love, 
And  hawks  and  kites  protect  the  dove ; 
When  foxes  shall  the  brood  defend, 
And  sheep  secure  by  wolves  be  penned ; 
When  scorpion  stings  shall  comfort  give, 
And  spasms  make  the  dying  live  ; 
When  sin  shall  cleanse  poor  man  defiled, 
And  lies  with  truth  be  reconciled ; 
When  darkest  cells  shall  light  afford, 
And  wrath  pronounce  a  peaceful  word ; 
When  kings  for  equal  right  contend, 
And  tyrants  shall  the- same  defend; 
Then  future  torments,  held  to  view, 
Shall  change  the  heart  and  make  it  new. 


A    PRAYER.  297 

A    PRAYER. 

O  Thou,  whose  power  the  mountains  formed, 

And  made  the  sea  his  bed  ; 
Who  set  his  raging  waves  their  bound, 

And  all  his  caverns  hid  ; 

The  mountains  thy  commands  obey, 

The  seas  thy  power  confess ; 
Thou  dost  their  caverns  deep  survey, 

And  every  dark  recess. 

O'er  mountains  of  our  sins,  O  Lord, 

Wilt  thou  thy  hand  extend, 
And  to  thy  gracious,  pardoning  word 

Their  lofty  summits  bend. 

And  o'er  the  raging  seas  of  guilt 

May  thy  rich  grace  abound, 
While  in  the  blood  which  Jesus  spilt 

Each  angry  wave  is  drowned. 

In  darkest  caverns  of  the  heart 

Wilt  thou  thy  light  display  ; 
And  to  the  visual  power  impart 

Thy  own  eternal  day. 


298  METRICAL    SELECTIONS. 

CHILDREN'S    PRAISES. 

The  following  was  written  on  occasion  of  hearing  a  family 
of  children  sing. 

When  Jesus  taught  in  Galilee 

That  truth  divine,  which  maketh  free 

From  the  vile  yoke  of  sin, 
Thousands,  redeemed  from  sinful  ways, 
Joined  in  his  well  deserved  praise, 

And  meekly  followed  him. 

From  place  to  place  the  Teacher  went, 
And  by  his  works  proved  he  was  sent, 

Commissioned  from  above. 
On  sightless  eyes  he  poured  the  day ; 
The  lame,  relieved,  went  on  their  way, 

With  hearts  imbued  with  love. 

The  sick  from  all  around  were  brought, 
And  health  from  miracle  was  sought, 

And  never  sought  in  vain ; 
The  grave,  the  shroud,  his  word  obeyed, 
And  those  who  were  within  them  laid 

Arose  to  life  again. 


children's  praises.  299 

Their  little  ones  kind  parents  brought 
To  Jesus,  and  a  blessing  sought 

On  those  they  loved  so  well ; 
And  lo  !  behold  !  the  blessing  came 
In  the  eternal  Father's  name, 

And  gently  on  them  fell. 

Now,  little  children,  let  me  say, 
Your  hearts'  affections,  day  by  day, 

Belong  to  Christ  the  Lord  ; 
Then  early  learn  to  know  him  well, 
And  strive  in  virtue  to  excel, 

Directed  by  his  word. 

O  how  delightful  't  is  to  hear 
The  voices  of  these  children  dear 

In  praise  to  God  unite  ! 
The  music  of  the  birds  which  sing, 
On  blooming  branches  in  the  spring, 

Gives  no  such  sweet  delight. 


300  METRICAL   SELECTIONS. 

CHRIST'S    ENTRANCE    INTO    JERU- 
SALEM. 

From  turrets  high  the  watchmen  now  behold 
Vast  crowds  press  on  toward  the  city  gate, 

As  sheep  press  forward  to  the  wonted  fold ; 
No  tardy  one  does  for  another  wait. 

Bethpage  is  past ;  and  down  the  mountain's  side 
The  multitude  descend  with  voices  loud ; 

Their  ranks  are  deep,  and  fill  the  valleys  wide ; 
They  rush,  they  press,  and  to  the  city  crowd. 

The  nobles,  from  their  lofty  halls,  espy, 
Amidst  the  host,  one  meek  and  lowly,  ride 

On  the  humble  ass,  and  fast  is  drawing  nigh, 
Quite  free  from  pomp,  or  equipage  of  pride. 

"Who  comes?   who  comes?"  is  cried  the  city 
round ; 

Inquiring  thousands  anxious  are  to  know 
What  hostile  power  would  tread  on  holy  ground, 

Or  lay  their  loved,  their  ancient  city  low. 


Christ's  entrance  into  Jerusalem.     301 

No  hostile  banner  here,  no  sword  displayed ; 

The  King  of  Zion  comes  as  was  foretold ; 
Expected  long,  no  longer  now  delayed ; 

He  comes  to  bring  the  wanderers  to  his  fold. 

Advancing  on,  the  meek  and  lowly  see 

Amidst  the  throng ;   while  thousands  loudly 
sing 
Hosannas  in  the  highest,  blest  is  he 

Who   comes   to   reign,  our  true   and  lawful 
King. 

Branches  of  palm  and  other  trees  are  seen 
Waving  in  air,  and  strewed  along  the  way ; 

And  beauty's  hands  dispose  the  evergreen 
Along  the  paths  where  costly  garments  lay. 

Hark  !  what  sounds  are  those  our  ears  salute  ? 

Hosannas  loud  sweet  infant  voices  raise  ! 
Sing  on,  dear  babes,  nor  let  your  tongues  be  mute ; 

Your  King  is  worthy  to  receive  your  praise. 

But  pause  !  —  a  lamentation  strikes  the  ear; 

The  great  Messiah  weeps  aloud  to  see 
Jerusalem  ;  and  now  his  falling  tear 

Forebodes  her  woes,  and  her  sad  destiny. 
26 


302  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

The  holy  prophets  she  hath  madly  slain, 
And  multiplied  her  sins  before  the  Lord ; 

Her  hands  the  blood  of  innocence  did  stain, 
Which  called  aloud  for  the  avenging  sword. 

Through  all  her  stieets  that  sword  must  quickly 
pass, 

Wielded  in  wrath  which  can  no  pity  show; 
Her  glory  now  must  wither  like  the  grass ; 

Jerusalem  must  fall  before  her  foe. 

The  house  of  God,  the  house  of  prayer  to  purge, 

The  lowly  Prince  of  Peace  now  enters  in, 
And    drives    from    thence,   with    well-prepared 
scourge, 
Vile  thieves,  its  inmates  who  too  long  have 
been. 

O  King  of  Zion  !  in  this  heart  of  mine 

Are  thieves  more  vile  —  wilt  thou  not  enter 
there, 

And  with  thy  rod  of  searching  truth  divine, 
By  cleansing,  make  this  heart  a  house  of  prayer? 


THE    SOUL    PANTING   AFTER   GOD.  303 

THE  SOUL  PANTING  AFTER  GOD. 

"  As  the  hart  panteth  after  the  water-brooks,  so  panteth 
my  soul  after  thee,  O  God."  —  Psalm  xlii.  1. 

Wilt  thou,  0  God,  forever  hide 

Thy  smiling  mercy  from  my  heart  ? 

How  slowly  do  my  moments  glide ! 
How  heavy,  dreary,  and  how  dark  ! 

In  vain  each  glittering,  earthly  toy 

I  try  my  anguish  to  beguile ; 
Not  one  imparts  a  moment's  joy, 

Nor  lights  on  sorrow's  face  a  smile. 

Wilt  thou  no  more  thy  smiles  impart, 

My  wounded  spirit  to  revive  ? 
No  more  refresh  this  famished  heart, 
Nor  from  this  dying  state  revive  ? 

Again  I  seek  in  pleasures  round  — 
Not  to  enjoy,  for  that  were  vain  — 

But  to  forget  my  grief  profound ; 
Yet  all  my  sorrows  still  remain. 

In  memory  of  comforts  gone, 

Wilt  thou  thy  favors  hide  from  me  ? 


304  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

Forgetfulness  is  less  forlorn  ; 

Return,  or  grant  this  boon  of  thee. 

Forget  ?  O  no  !  the  hart  as  soon, 
That  thirsteth  for  the  living  stream, 

Might  cease  to  pant  for  drink  at  noon, 
As  I  for  what  I  once  have  seen. 


A    PRAYER. 

With  costly  offerings  why  should  we 

Approach  thine  altar,  Lord  ? 
Thine  is  the  earth,  and  thine  the  sea, 

And  all  the  worlds  abroad. 

The  oil  that  from  the  olive  flows, 
The  wine  the  vintage  yields, 

And  every  herb  and  fruit  that  grows 
In  gardens  and  in  fields, 

Are  gifts  of  thine,  which  we  receive 

As  tokens  of  thy  love ; 
They  please  our  tastes,  our  wants  relieve, 

And  thy  great  goodness  prove. 


AN    INVITATION.  305 

From  coral  beds  of  ocean  deep 
Could  we  rich  diamonds  bring, 

And  on  a  golden  altar  heap 
Each  shining,  glittering  thing ; 

To  thee  they  all  belonged  before, 

Created  by  thy  skill, 
And  treasured  in  thy  ample  store, 

According  to  thy  will. 

The  humble,  contrite,  broken  heart 

Thou  never  didst  despise ; 
Wilt  thou,  O  God,  thy  aid  impart, 

To  bring  this  sacrifice  ? 


AN    INVITATION. 

Poor  wanderer  in  the  paths  of  sin, 
Wouldst  thou  return  to  peace  ? 

O  follow  then  the  light  within  — 
That  light  will  fast  increase. 

But  are  thy  feet  in  fetters  bound  ? 
Have  foes  blocked  up  thy  way  ? 
26* 


306  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

Have  snares  encompassed  thee  around  ? 
Then  dangerous  is  delay. 

Now  is  the  time  !  one  prayer  sincere 
Will  turn  these  cords  to  tow, 

Destroy  these  snares,  and  end  thy  fear, 
And  prostrate  lay  the  foe. 

Do  crimes  forebode  the  wrath  divine, 

And  tell  thee  not  to  pray  ? 
Does  conscience  press  that  heart  of  thine, 

And  guilt  most  ponderous  lay  ? 

Then  listen  to  the  words  of  him, 
Whose  doctrine  is  the  way ; 

Who  came  to  save  from  death  and  sin, 
And  learn  us  how  to  pray. 

"  Ye  heavy  laden,  come  to  me, 

And  I  will  give  you  rest ; 
My  service  is  true  liberty, 

And  freedom  to  th'  oppressed." 

Transporting  joys  the  angels  feel, 
Through  all  the  realms  above, 

To  see  one  humble  sinner  kneel 
Before  the  God  they  love. 


THERE    IS   A   GOD.  307 

Forgiveness  flows  from  his  right  hand, 
Like  streams  from  fountains  large ; 

It  makes  the  guilty  upright  stand, 
And  gives  a  full  discharge. 


THERE   IS    A   GOD,   ALL   NATURE 
CRIES    ALOUD." 

The  morning  dawn,  the  noon-day  blaze, 
The  setting  sun's  soft  farewell  rays, 

With  eloquence  divine, 
Instruct  the  contemplative  mind, 
And  point  to  pages  where  we  find 

A  God  in  every  line. 

The  moon,  whose  paler,  softer  beam 
Is  on  the  peaceful  waters  seen, 

Divinity  proclaims ; 
While  her  reflected  beauty  bright, 
That  cheers  the  gloom  of  silent  night, 

This  truth  divine  maintains. 

Those  lamps  on  high,  beyond  the  sun, 
Beyond  where  rolling  planets  run, 
This  solemn  truth  declare, 


308  METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

In  language  all  can  understand ; 
And  so  do  air,  and  sea,  and  land, 
This  testimony  bear. 

The  flowery  lawns,  the  fruitful  fields, 
The  vine  which  cheering  nectar  yields, 

Confirm  this  truth  to  me  ; 
And  every  creature  here  on  earth, 
To  which  the  elements  give  birth, 

Proclaims  the  Deity. 


LINES   WRITTEN    IN    AN    ALBUM 

Sweet  are  the  summer  flowers, 
Bright  with  morning  dew ; 

Or  washed  in  balmy  showers, 
Their  fragrance  to  renew. 

With  all  their  varied  shades, 

Blended  by  art  divine, 
In  gardens  or  in  glades, 

With  splendid  beauty  shine. 

Virtue  far  is  sweeter 

Found  in  a  maiden's  breast ; 


LINES.  309 


Shining  in  each  feature, 
And  in  her  look  expressed. 

When  flowers  sweet  shall  fade, 
And  all  their  beauties  die, 

The  amaranthine  maid 
Blooms  in  an  upper  sky. 


LINES 


Written  on  reading,  in  a  Rhode  Island  paper,  the  death  of 
Hon.  Olney  Ballou,  of  Cumberland,  R.  I. 

In  grief  and  sorrow  low  I  bow 
To  the  bereaving  hand  divine, 

Which  hath  from  earth  and  time  removed 
A  well  beloved  friend  of  mine. 

In  his  vast  soul  were  treasures  found 
More  precious  than  the  most  refined 

Of  gold  in  Ophir's  bowels  hid, 
And  for  a  nobler  use  designed. 

An  intellect  as  clear  and  bright 

As  sunbeams  when  the  noon  displays 


310  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

The  glories  of  the  earth  and  sea, 
And  over  all  things  light  conveys. 

A  love  of  truth  and  human  kind 
Dwelt  in  God's  image  in  the  man ; 

A  pure  benevolence  so  large 
As  could  the  vast  creation  span. 

Nor  are  the  rocks  which  ocean  bound, 
And  stay  the  foaming  waves  which  roll, 

More  firm  than  his  integrity, 

The  righteous  purpose  of  his  soul. 

No  partial  creed  of  church  or  state 
Could  find  acceptance  in  his  heart ; 

The  equal  rights  of  all  he  prized, 
And  ever  took  the  weaker's  part. 

With  steady  and  ^ndaunted  eye 
He  looked  oppression  in  the  face  ; 

And,  though  a  host  against  him  rose, 
Never  forsook  or  left  his  place. 

When  power  unrighteous  laid  on  him 
Relentless  cruelty  and  wrong, 


LINES.  311 

It  found  that  firm  integrity- 
Had  made  its  Jong-tried  victim  strong. 

And  as  the  rising  beams  of  morn 
Dispel  the  gloomy  shades  of  night, 

So  the  bright  virtues  of  the  man 
Put  all  his  enemies  to  flight. 

His  active  virtues  so  prevailed, 

As  justly  for  him  to  procure, 
In  his  beloved  State,  a  name, 

Which  to  his  honor  shall  endure. 

With  his  dear  family  and  friends 
My  sincere  heart  shall  heave  a  sigh, 

And  pray  for  that  consoling  hope 
Of  promise  in  a  world  on  high. 


312  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

THE   PROGRESS    OF   TRUTH. 

Thy  word,  O  Lord,  has  travelled  through 

This  favored  land  of  thine  ; 
And,  where  the  briar  and  thistle  grew, 

Has  set  a  plant  divine. 

As  buds  bound  up  in  winter's  cold 
Feel  the  soft  breath  of  spring, 

Their  leaves  and  blossoms  both  unfold, 
And  round  their  odors  fling ; 

Beneath  its  power  the  iron  knee 

Of  superstition  bends ; 
And  hearts,  from  error's  bondage  free, 

Taste  joys  thy  favor  sends. 

Like  as  the  dews  on  tender  shoots 

Both  life  and  vigor  give, 
Thy  grace  calls  forth  abundant  fruits, 

And  makes  the  dying  live. 

Thy  wonders,  Lord,  mine  eyes  have  seen, 

In  this  thy  favored  land  ; 
A  desert  clothed  in  living  green 

By  thine  all-gracious  hand. 


RESURRECTION    OF    THE    WIDOW'S    SON.        313 

THE    RESURRECTION    OF    THE 
WIDOW'S    SON. 

Luke  vii. 

What  crowd  is  that  at  Nain's  gate, 
That  moves  so  slowly  on  the  way ; 

No  sprightly  music  to  elate 

The  jocund  swains  or  virgins  gay  ? 

Hark !  on  the  air  a  sad  lament 

Comes  mournful  to  our  listening  ears ; 

Affliction's  bosom  finds  a  vent, 
And  sorrow  sheds  a  flood  of  tears. 

In  sackcloth  clad,  amidst  the  crowd, 
Low  bending,  moves  a  widow  lorn  ; 

Her  only  son,  wrapped  in  a  shroud, 
Before  her  slowly  moves  along. 

Compassion's  eye  has  caught  the  sight ; 

Compassion's  voice  the  mourner  hears ; 
Sorrow  gives  place  to  fond  delight, 

And  joy  dries  up  those  falling  tears. 

The  promised  Life  of  man  draws  near, 
The  bearers  pause  and  mutely  stand ; 
27 


314  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

For  something  touched  the  shrouded  bier ; 
That  touch  was  by  the  Saviour's  hand. 

A  voice  awakes  the  ear  of  death  ! 

'T  was  the  command,  Young  man,  arise  ! 
His  vitals  quick  inhale  their  breath, 

And  light  pours  on  his  opening  eyes. 


DIVINE    GOVERNMENT. 

A  theme,  worthy  of  better  bards, 
Commands  my  full  strong  lyre  ; 

And  warms  my  heart,  a  heart  enlarged 
With  more  than  mortal  fire. 

The  ways  of  the  Divine  I  sing, 

His  mysteries  unfold, 
And  to  the  understanding  bring 

Truths  worthy  to  be  told. 

What  here  on  earth  we  evil  call, 
And  all  which  men  deplore, 

On  which  their  lamentations  fall, 
Present  and  heretofore  ;■ 


DIVINE    GOVERNMENT.  315 

And  all  the  good,  so  highly  prized, 

The  present  and  the  past, 
By  the  same  wisdom  was  devised 

For  the  same  end  at  last. 

When  thunders  roll  and  lightnings  blaze 

And  tempests  rush  amain, 
And  men  and  beasts  with  terror  gaze, 

On  mountain,  sea,  and  plain,  — 

When  all  the  elements  contend, 

And  war  with  deadly  strife, 
Their  ragings  all  on  Him  depend 

Who  gives  all  creatures  life. 

The  world  within  the  human  soul. 

With  every  passion  there, 
Is  subject  to  the  same  control, 

Submissive  to  its  care. 

Ambition,  lust,  and  pride  may  rage, 
And  war's  dread  fire  may  blaze ; 

Thousands  in  bloody  strife  engage, 
And  shouts  of  victory  raise. 

While  dying  groans  fall  on  our  ears, 
And  fill  our  hearts  with  srief, 


316  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

While  sorrow  sheds  a  flood  of  tears, 
Where  shall  we  seek  relief? 

In  this  eternal  truth,  I  sing, 
That  God's  own  will  is  done, 

Who  good  from  every  ill  can  bring, 
That 's  found  beneath  the  sun. 


SALVATION. 

Behold,  in  royal  splendor, 

Jerusalem,  thy  King ! 
Thy  safeguard,  thy  defender, 

Who  doth  salvation  bring. 

Before  his  sceptre  spreading, 
Kebellion  bows  the  knee ; 

While  he,  the  wine-press  treading, 
Sets  captive  sinners  free. 

In  Shiloh's  holy  mountain, 
Provisions  are  in  store  — 

And  from  a  living  fountain 
Shall  flow  forevermore 


PRAYER    AXD    THANKS. 

Life's  sweet  and  limpid  waters, 
For  all  the  human  race, 

Who  come  from  distant  quarters, 
To  taste  redeeming  grace. 

The  north  retains  no  longer, 
The  south  begins  to  yield ; 

The  sick  and  weak  grow  stronger, 
The  wounded  all  are  healed. 

Let  songs  of  praise  and  gladness 

In  all  our  temples  rise, 
And  banish  grief  and  sadness, 

And  tears  from  all  our  eyes. 


317 


PRAYER    AND    THANKS. 

Ay  offering  meet,  to  thee,  my  God, 
My  grateful  soul  would  bring  ; 

For  all  thy  mercies  great  and  good, 
Thy  praise  would  ever  sing. 

Humbly  I  bend  before  thy  throne, 
And  offer  fervent  prayer, 
27* 


318  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

That  thou  wouldst  not  this  heart  disown, 
This  heart  oppressed  with  care. 

Worn  down  with  age,  with  toil  oppressed, 

I  taste  thy  goodness  still ; 
And  though  afflictions  wound  my  breast, 

Submit  unto  thy  will. 

When  those,  to  fond  affection  dear, 

Are  languishing  with  pain, 
O  may  a  husband's,  father's  prayer, 

With  thee  kind  audience  gain. 

And  wilt  thou  health  and  ease  restore  ? 

For  these  are  thine  to  give ; 
Then  to  thy  glory  evermore 

Will  we  devoutly  live. 

Thanks  to  thy  name,  O  God  of  love ! 

Thy  smiling  face  I  see  ! 
And  health  comes  gently  as  a  dove, 

And  whispers  peace  to  me. 


HYMN    OF    PRAISE.  319 

HYMN    OF    PRAISE. 

To  Him,  whose  wisdom  is  displayed 
In  every  creature  he  has  made ; 
Whose  goodness,  too,  in  fairest  lines, 
Is  read  in  all  his  blest  designs,  — 

Let  praises  in  loud  anthems  rise, 
Through  all  the  earth,  and  reach  the  skies ; 
With  sounds  melodious  laud  his  name, 
And  raise  devotion  to  a  flame. 

Through  the  wide  earth  and  broader  sea, 
The  footsteps  of  the  Deity, 
The  impress  of  his  truth  and  grace, 
With  infinite  delight  we  trace. 

Ye  sons  of  men,  in  worship  kneel, 
Let  every  heart  the  transport  feel ; 
The  theme  forever  shall  remain ; 
Eternally  is  God  the  same. 


320  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

THE    ACCEPTABLE    SACRIFICE. 

As  early  as  the  voice  of  birds 

Aurora's  birth  shall  sing, 
Unto  thine  altar,  O  my  God, 

My  sacrifice  I  '11  bring. 

But  teach  me,  Holy  Spirit,  where 

The  costly  gift  is  found ; 
Beyond  the  seas,  beyond  the  flood, 

Or  in  the  deeps  profound  ? 

From  spicy  fields,  or  olive  groves, 

An  offering  shall  I  bring  ? 
Or  shall  Golconda's  golden  shore 

Afford  the  shining  thing  ? 

Say,  in  the  stall,  with  garlands  dressed, 

This  offering  can  I  find  ? 
Or,  must  there,  to  atone  my  guilt, 

A  first-born  be  resigned  ? 

Thy  voice  I  hear !  The  whisper  saith, 

A  broken  heart  I  prize  ; 
Contrition  on  my  altar  lay, 

'T  is  precious  in  my  eyes. 


PASTORAL. 


321 


PASTORAL. 

"The  Lord  is  my  Shepherd." 

Ye  shepherds  kind,  who  tend  the  fold, 

And  guard  the  feeble  young, 
Who  seek  a  shelter  from  the  cold, 

The  hills  and  vales  among  ; 

Should  from  your  flocks  some  wand'rers  stray, 

And  in  the  forest  roam, 
Exposed  to  savage  beasts  of  prey, 

Say,  would  you  bring  them  home  ? 

If  lame,  or  sick,  and  like  to  die, 

Some  tender  lamb  you  see, 
To  its  relief  0  would  you  fly, 

And  its  restorer  be  ? 

Armed  for  defence,  would  you  look  on, 

And  see  the  wolf  draw  near, 
And  scatter  death  your  flocks  among, 

And  thus  neglect  your  care  ? 

Beneath  your  eyes  could  theft  succeed 

To  waste  your  flocks  so  dear  ? 
Or,  would  you,  to  prevent  the  deed, 

Stand  forth  the  owners  there  ? 


322  METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

From  you,  ye  shepherds,  will  I  learn 
My  Saviour's  grace  to  prize, 

Who  safely  guards  his  flock  from  harm, 
Beneath  his  sleepless  eyes. 


ANOTHER. 

FOUNDED     ON     FACT. 

Last  week,  as  in  a  country  town 
Some  herds  and  flocks  I  saw, 

All  fattening  on  the  flowery  lawn, 
By  nature's  simple  law  ; 

Alert  the  lambs  their  gambols  played. 
And  frolicked  o'er  the  fields, 

While  all  around  I  saw  displayed 
Such  charms  as  nature  yields. 

My  eyes  were  feasting  on  the  sight, 
My  ears  did  sweetly  ring, 

While  every  object  gave  delight, 
And  birds  for  joy  did  sing  ; 

When,  lo,  my  eyes  arrested  were,  — 
A  piteous  sight  to  me  ; 


ode.  323 

A  blundering  lamb  ran  here  and  there, 
A  lamb  that  could  not  see. 

I  grieved  to  hear  its  melting  moan, 

When  from  the  dam  astray, 
But  joyed  to  see  the  shepherd  come, 

And  bring  the  lamb  away. 

This  brought  my  Shepherd  to  my  mind, 

My  Saviour  and  his  charms, 
Who  pitied  me  when  lost  and  blind, 

And  took  me  in  his  arms. 


ODE, 

UNG    AT     THE    CELEBRATION    OF    AMERICAN 
INDEPENDENCE,     AT     BOSTON,     JULY     4,    1820. 

Arise,  ye  millions,  through  the  land, 

And  loud  prolong  the  lay, 
And  sing,  in  one  harmonious  band, 

Our  nation's  natal  day. 

To  the  All  Merciful  and  Wise, 
Who  brought  the  tyrant  low, 


324  METRICAL   COMPOSITIONS. 

Let  gratitude  in  anthems  rise, 
And  every  passion  flow. 

Beneath  your  feet,  Columbians,  see 

Oppression's  broken  chain ; 
And  shout  a  nation  born,  and  free, 

Who  Independence  claim. 

O  think  on  Him,  whose  wings  were  spread, 

To  guard  our  hero  band, 
And  sat  a  shield  upon  the  head 

Of  those  who  saved  our  land  ! 

From  north  to  south,  from  east  to  west, 
Through  our  extensive  coast, 

With  equal  laws  and  freedom  blest, 
We  Independence  boast. 

Nor  shall  these  rights,  the  price  of  blood, 

Be  ever  thrown  away, 
While  waters  wave,  or  forests  bud, 

Or  sun  reflects  a  ray. 


THE    BEATITUDES.  325 

THE    BEATITUDES. 

BIatt.  v.  3—11. 

Blessed  are  they  in  spirit  poor ; 
A  heavenly  kingdom  is  their  store. 
All  they  desire  to  them  is  given  — 
A  life  of  peace,  the  life  of  heaven ; 
For  all  are  blest  while  they  obey, 
Divinely  blest  from  day  to  day. 

Blessed  are  they  who  mourn  for  sin, 
For  soon  their  comfort  shall  begin ; 
They  walk  in  true  humility, 
And  taste  the  sweets  of  liberty ; 
For  all  are  blest  while  they  obey, 
Divinely  blest  from  day  to  day. 

Blest  are  the  meek,  both  now  and  hence,  — 
The  earth  is  their  inheritance  ; 
Its  treasures  vast  to  them  are  given, 
By  Him  who  rules  enthroned  in  heaven ; 
For  all  are  blest  while  they  obey, 
Divinely  blest  from  day  to  day. 

Blessed  are  they  who  hungry  are 
For  righteousness  both  sweet  and  rare ; 
28 


326  METRICAL    COMPOSITIONS. 

This  is  the  tree  of  life  divine, 
It  yields  them  bread,  and  milk,  and  wine ; 
For  all  are  blest  while  they  obey, 
Divinely  blest  from  day  to  day. 

The  merciful  are  blest,  who  show 
Compassion  both  to  friend  and  foe  ; 
A  rich  reward  shall  they  obtain, 
For  with  them  mercy  shall  remain ; 
For  all  are  blest  while  they  obey, 
Divinely  blest  from  day  to  day. 

Yea,  blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart, 
Who  never  from  the  right  depart ; 
Who  live  from  guile  and  error  free  ; 
They  shall  be  blest  their  God  to  see  ; 
For  all  are  blest  while  they  obey, 
Divinely  blest  from  day  to  day. 

Blessed  are  they  who  shun  all  strife, 
And  others  teach  a  peaceful  life  ; 
To  them  the  honor  shall  be  given 
Of  children  of  the  God  of  heaven  ; 
For  all  are  blest  while  they  obey, 
Divinely  blest  from  day  to  day. 


Till:    BEATITUDES. 


327 


All  those  who  persecuted  are, 
For  righteousness,  have  blessings  rare  ; 
A  heavenly  kingdom  they  possess, 
A  reign  of  peace  and  righteousness  ; 
For  all  are  blest  while  they  obey, 
Divinely  blest  from  day  to  da}-. 

All  those  are  blest  whom  men  revile, 
And  persecute,  and  treat  with  guile  ; 
Falsely  accuse  for  Jesus'  name, 
Although  for  him  they  suffer  shame  ; 
For  all  are  blest  while  they  obey, 
Divinely  blest  from  day  to  day. 


